Foxbox Digital

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the VP of engineering at an aeronautical company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Foxbox Digital?

We needed support with product design, UI/UX design, project management, infrastructure setup, product development, and QA.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Foxbox Digital has helped us with various projects, the latest being developing a custom web application. The team has provided their expertise at the beginning of the project, handling the upfront analysis and design with the guidance of some of our stakeholders. Foxbox Digital is integrated with our team and has also helped us define some of the features and how we want to implement them.

Foxbox Digital has used Kubernetes for the app's infrastructure and Java, Node.js, and React for development. The app’s primary feature is to ease air traffic congestion, save fuel, and reduce emission.

What is the team composition?

The team composition varies depending on the project's needs. At one point, we worked with 7–8 teammates. Currently, we work with one developer, but we anticipate the team will expand once we firm up our product roadmap. We've worked with developers, QA engineers, project managers, infrastructure engineers, and UI/UX designers.

How did you come to work with Foxbox Digital?

Our relationship with Foxbox Digital started before I joined my company.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested roughly $700,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2023, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Foxbox Digital has helped us save time, and the team is nimble. Foxbox Digital has been a great partner because they're flexible in providing resources, which is a big help for startups. The team's work meets our expectations.

How did Foxbox Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

We've worked under two project management models. Foxbox Digital has been responsible for project management for some projects, and we currently manage the project ourselves. The team is good at communicating with us and their developers. If there are any major announcements, Foxbox Digital works well with us to message them to their team. We work closely with Foxbox Digital's team and collaborate through GitHub. At one point, we used Jira but didn't like it, so we decided to switch to GitHub. The team gets the same information we have in real-time.

We share a Slack channel and also communicate via email. We also meet with Foxbox Digital at least twice a week via Google Meet and Zoom to discuss things.
Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Jefferson is fantastic to work with. He’s an excellent team member and development partner.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Occasionally, there’s been a disconnect between anticipated and actual expertise profiles. Additionally, the process the team has brought to our company is a bit heavy for our organization. I can see that process working well for more established organizations, but we weren't ready for that kind of process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Foxbox Digital is flexible, so don't be afraid to talk to the customer manager about exactly what you need. The team tries hard to accommodate their clients.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of engineering at Versapay and the former CTO of a company that was acquired two years ago by Versapay. Our company does accounts receivable automation, and we have a mobile app that helps with payment collection for the employees of our customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Foxbox Digital?

We first started the mobile app development project with in-house developers and got pretty far. However, it was very hard for us to keep the talent at the company because our developers kept getting poached by software companies. This was a very big problem for us; by the time we trained someone, they would leave, and we had to find a replacement. When we found Foxbox Digital, they ended up taking over the project completely.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When Foxbox Digital joined, we had about two weeks to do a handover because our developer was leaving. They picked up the project and have been running with it ever since. For three years, their team has been in charge of doing anything related to our mobile app, including developing new features and providing maintenance.

As for the technology stack, the app has been written in React Native so that we can deploy it to iOS and Android. The backend has been written in Ruby on Rails, so the app uses a REST API to connect with the backend.

For the first phase of the project, Foxbox Digital had to clean everything up. Although we had talented developers, the app had grown unwieldy, so the first thing the team did was put everything under CI/CD. They also added more testing, did some QA, and conducted a round of upgrades to our dependencies.

For the second phase of the project, Foxbox Digital fixed all the bugs and issues the app had. They also added more logging for exception handling and, overall, made the app a little more sustainable. We had some lingering issues we didn't really had time to address, so Foxbox Digital made the time to address them.

The third phase of the project, which we are currently in, is app maintenance. The app is more or less feature-complete, so it does its job well. Still, the challenge with mobile apps is that there are always new OS versions coming out for iOS and Android, as well as general dependency upgrades, so we need to ensure that the app is compatible with those.

What is the team composition?

At any given time, we have about three teammates from Foxbox Digital working on our app. We have a senior software architect overseeing the app for five hours per week. We also work with a software engineer, who does the majority of the development work, and a QA engineer, who helps us with testing. During more intense times, we also work with a project manager from Foxbox Digital, who helps us organize the work.

Given that we're now in maintenance mode, we've scaled back our time commitment with Foxbox Digital; they've been flexible in that regard. Still, we always have the option to add more resources if necessary, which might be the case in the future. Their maintenance mode includes a help desk service, so we also work with Bill (Service Desk Lead), who helps us out when needed.
How did you come to work with Foxbox Digital?

We found Foxbox Digital through some references.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent around $350,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since May 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The main outcomes of this project have been having a stable app and a stable development team on which we can count for a continuous partnership. Thanks to Foxbox Digital, we don't have to worry about having a full-time developer. They're very equipped and better than a full-time developer.

The quality of Foxbox Digital's work is top-notch, and their React Native expertise is great. The team has been able to find great talent and direct it appropriately so that the quality is always outstanding.

How did Foxbox Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

Foxbox Digital has stayed on budget and met all our deadlines. They're basically integrated into our team, so they communicate with us through our normal communication channels, such as Slack, email, and virtual meetings. They collaborate with us like any other member of our team.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Bill has been very good at helping manage the relationship. He gets things done and is very attentive to our needs. If something pops up, he tracks it down and ensures the developers are doing everything possible to resolve the issues and stay proactive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Foxbox Digital is very dependable. Although we've had a few developers throughout the project, there has always been continuity between them. The team makes sure that everyone knows what they're doing, going from one developer to the next.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Foxbox Digital has been very responsive to our constructive feedback. For example, one of their developers knows English as a second language. We've had communication challenges in the past, but Foxbox Digital has addressed those challenges by having the developer take some English classes and improving his communication.

Many of their developers aren't US-based, so communication has been a continuous challenge for them. Still, Foxbox Digital always ensures that English is spoken well.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Treat them like a regular development team and have daily stand-ups with them. If you want to get a lot done, make sure that you're making them as involved in the process as they need to be. Don't treat them as a temporal addition to your team, and get them fully immersed in your whole ecosystem.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I am the director of UX for Ocient, a data solutions company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Foxbox Digital?

We were working on a new UI for a data warehouse and wanted to bring someone in with design expertise for the interface. Our goal was to create an interactive experience that used visuals to help understand how the system works. We brought Foxbox Digital in to help with this task. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

This project was essentially a design project, and the end goal was to have a set of high-fidelity (hi-fi) prototypes within Figma. We needed about 20 screens by the end of the project within 4–6 weeks. We worked with their product and design team to shape our understanding of the problem and share some of the context of who our customers were and the personas we were targeting. 

We started with early concept low-fidelity (lo-fi) wireframes and quickly progressed to hi-fi wireframes, where we built detailed and interactive screens. After we completed the screens, Foxbox Digital began to give input for our engineering process and how to start working on building this next-generation product. 

Part of the engagement also involved their architects supporting the design process and making recommendations on the right technology stack. We wanted to ensure that our technology choices actually supported our designs and vice versa. Our deployment is a little nontraditional, so we wanted that extra assurance that everything would work out. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with an individual from their product team, a frontend designer, a project manager, and an executive review contact within their leadership team. 

How did you come to work with Foxbox Digital?

I knew the CEO of Foxbox Digital previously. After looking at a few different vendors, we were most impressed with their ability to think about the project from a product level and thought they would be the right fit. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $15,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together between April–June 2023. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our goal with this project was to design something convincing enough for us to have faith in building the next-generation UI and to do it in a way that added a lot of value to the business. I feel like we achieved this with Foxbox Digital. We don’t have any hard metrics because we’re currently in development, but their quality of work is outstanding. We think they did an excellent job developing screens and interfaces that showcase data and our system components.

The finished product matched our branding guidelines very well, so we were happy with the work and how it lined up with our company. The design is thorough and detailed, which we were also very happy with, and they helped us prepare for any future changes. 

How did Foxbox Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

The team stayed within the budget, and everything was delivered on time. Their project management consistently checked in with us to ensure we were happy and that they were delivering satisfactory results. This was a fast project, but they did a great job, and we always knew where we stood with them. 

We used Slack for communication and Zoom to host scrum meetings and working sessions with the designer. We also had executive meetings every 2–4 weeks. 

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

We had great success working with Francisco (Senior Software Engineer). We worked very closely together in an agile fashion to improve the work. He was an excellent collaborator, and we really enjoyed working with him. We’d also like to shout out Arseniy (Product Owner). He really played a part in helping us shape our work for the future and ensuring that we were doing things that were going to be achievable for the team.

The last person we’d like to thank is Kelsey (Agile Delivery Lead); she did a great job of ensuring that everything was being managed effectively as we got more detailed in the design. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their designers were highly skilled and did a great job balancing technical problems while thinking about the user at the same time. We were impressed with Foxbox Digital’s ability to run a smooth process overall. With their management, we were able to get everything done in the time period that we wanted. 

Their collaborative skills were excellent; I’ve never had a relationship with a vendor that was this easy and seamless. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that I can come up with. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We were a little shortsighted in that we did a lot of work independently before the engagement began, but their team is so good that we think other companies should just go through the discovery process with Foxbox Digital. If we could do it again, we would have taken more time in the beginning stages with them. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CPO of a data and analytics consulting and technology firm. We provide services and products for Fortune 1000 enterprise companies. I’m responsible for the design, development, deployment, and management of all our technology products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Foxbox Digital?

We hired Foxbox Digital to help us with our HELIX analytics platform, a full-service analytics ecosystem with capabilities for large enterprises to manage their analytics implementation, dashboards, and reports. 

The platform incorporates versioning systems, triage management, request management, access and security management, and education for developers and users. Moreover, it connects to multiple BI and data tools.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We use resources from Foxbox Digital to supplement our capability and integrate into our internal team. Our team consists of a product manager, an architect, a backend developer, and a frontend developer. Foxbox Digital provides help across many other functions we need, including design, front- and backend development, product management, project management and coordination, and Agile and Scrum management.

The team helps us with our process and to design and build the product, primarily using React and C#. The product’s frontend is built using React, and the backend is built using C# microservices architecture. Foxbox Digital has answered infrastructure questions and helped orchestrate our process. Currently, we mostly use them for product management. 

What is the team composition?

Throughout the project, we’ve worked with around 10 or more teammates from Foxbox Digital. We’ve worked with two different frontend developers, two backend developers, two product managers, a project manager, a UX designer, a design team lead, and Foxbox Digital’s head of engineering. Additionally, we work with an account manager. 

How did you come to work with Foxbox Digital?

I found them on LinkedIn. Although I went to college with Foxbox Digital’s CEO, we weren’t in school simultaneously, but I knew of him during that time. I had been following him on LinkedIn for a while, and as he continued to post about Foxbox Digital, I realized we had a need for them and reached out.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $500,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Foxbox Digital in May 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Foxbox Digital has done a good job of integrating with our team and getting their work done. We have specific internal rituals and code pushes that the team follows; they’ve been great throughout the whole process. 

Internally, it took us a while to get to an established process. Now, we’re at a point where we can calculate how much work we need to do in a given sprint and assess our capability to deliver. Foxbox Digital has been able to meet or exceed our velocity in feature delivery pretty consistently. 

How did Foxbox Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re good with communication; everyone on the Foxbox Digital team is very responsive. We have different levels of communication. Their product manager and project managers communicate largely with my internal teams through Microsoft Teams. 

From a leadership perspective, we have a monthly cadence to meet with our account manager and the project leadership to walk through the progress and any issues we might have. During this meeting, we review the hours spent and what’s been accomplished. I can get reports from that meeting and use them for justification. 

The budget has changed regularly due to our service model’s susceptibility to cash flow swings during different seasons. Foxbox Digital is really accommodating to our changing budget and has never gone over budget. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Everyone on the Foxbox Digital team is personable and easy to work with. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would like to get the status reports in advance to review them and come to the monthly meeting with questions rather than having to think of them in real time. However, Foxbox Digital does a good job overall. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of innovation for The X Company. We own, operate, and build multifamily apartment buildings.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Foxbox Digital?

We hired them to develop a mobile application for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The app is built in React Native with an Elixir background; everything was completely native. There are two access control systems built into the app. It allows residents to get in and out of their building using their mobile phones.

Residents just have to wave their hand in front of the reader; they don’t even have to take their phone out of their pocket. As long as their phone is somewhere on their body, the reader will wake up and recognize the device then unlock the door without the resident needing to hold their phone to the reader.

There’s a natively integrated intercom as well as a live chat feature. The app also enables residents to send guest credentials to visitors. For example, if their mom or friend is visiting for the weekend, a resident could send them a 48-hour key that lives on the visitor’s phone. Additionally, residents can remotely unlock the door and grant elevator access in real-time.

Foxbox Digital also integrated Nexudus, which is a CRM system for co-working spaces and social clubs. They utilize Auth0 for single sign-on, Sentry for debugging and errors, and Openpath for the access control systems.

What is the team composition?

I work with 7–8 of their team members including Rob (CEO & Founder), Minh Quan (VP of Engineering), and Tiffany (Senior Product Manager).

How did you come to work with Foxbox Digital?

I have a big background in networking in the software space and Foxbox Digital came highly recommended.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $315,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started in September 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We just launched the first version of the app and will take on v2 during the next year. Foxbox Digital is the best agency I’ve ever worked with. They put in a lot of due diligence and research. The amount of homework they did before the project even kicked off was substantial. I’ve never had to do such little handholding. It’s a breath of fresh air to work with them because they’re extremely competent and need very little from me. They far exceeded my expectations.

We had a big hurdle at the beginning because we going through a rebranding. We were only halfway through but Foxbox Digital was able to take all of the work that was completed at that point and do a great job of interpreting the direction our brand was going in. Even from a design and branding standpoint, they did an incredible job. They’re not a full-service agency so that was pleasantly shocking.

How did Foxbox Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

We have biweekly meetings where they show us the most recent improvements, updates, and additions. We give them high-level feedback and then they take it and understand it. Our teams primarily communicate through Slack. However, I could call them whenever I needed to. We never had to wait more than 30 minutes for a response. They were great with meeting timelines and were consistently ahead of schedule.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their great communication and diligence stand out. There wasn’t a single point in the project where I was concerned. Obviously, it’s a pretty ambitious project from a tech standpoint because we’re dealing with hardware and software. However, I was never concerned because Foxbox Digital treated the project as if it were their own. If there was a potential hurdle, they were just as concerned as I was.

Additionally, they looked out for our best interests. They could’ve easily been lazy but they never were. They found workarounds for things that’d cost us more money. They helped us save $20,000 and that’s a substantial amount of money saved just from their dedication to get creative and find a workaround.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do it. They made my life incredibly easy.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of AI engineering for a healthcare company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Foxbox Digital?

We brought Foxbox on board as a specialist in React Native to help us build our mobile application for consumers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Foxbox helped us build a mobile app from scratch. As we have our own UI/UX team, their team only provided guidance on the UI/UX design. They're primarily responsible for implementation and technical details. Their team built one of the app's primary components, which was a React Native bridge that tied into native SDKs (software development kits).

What is the team composition?

We work with a total of nine folks from Foxbox. I directly engaged with Rob (CEO) but then transitioned to Minh (VP of Engineering) who still supports our project. Our project manager’s Matt (Agile Coach).

How did you come to work with Foxbox Digital?

One of our other development partners referred us to Foxbox. That’s how we initially found them. They brought key React Native expertise and the ability to handle the implementation of key components to the table.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $1 million on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the partnership in July 2019 and expanded our engagement until the end of 2020.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Foxbox brings our team forward and develops specific sets of deliverables for this project. During each iteration, they need to deliver on specific pieces. In general, their team hits its goals. They provide technical expertise and solid project management skills to execute on our goals.

How did Foxbox Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

We engage them as a scrum team and assign them specific capabilities in the mobile development space. Essentially, we brought them in as contracted time and resources. They commit to targets every two weeks. Throughout the scope of the project, their team has met those targets.

In general, the response from my team’s been positive. The folks who work with them day to day have no complaints about Foxbox.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re most impressed by their level of technical expertise as a small development shop. We’ve been able to engage with strong technical and scrum leads who manage their team’s deliverables and goals for each iteration.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At my level, I’ve been happy with Foxbox. Since I’m not involved in the day to day operations, I don’t have specific areas of feedback.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you engage the same team as us, you don’t need pro tips. Rob’s able to source talent. He’s brought a lot of folks on board over the past year to accommodate our needs. As long as Rob’s involved in the selection of the team, you should feel comfortable working with Foxbox.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a donation platform for golf tournaments.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Foxbox Digital?

We didn’t have the tech-savviness to build the platform ourselves.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Foxbox helped us to brainstorm and set a design strategy. Their team then designed the prototype of our mobile app, which enables participants and fans to donate to a charity based on a player’s birdies or eagles. It’s an interactive way for fans to follow players and give back. We’re planning to release the app for iOS, Android, and desktop.

What is the team composition?

We worked with roughly four individuals from Foxbox. I communicated with Rebecca (Operations Manager) who managed the project. Two other teammates worked on the designs and UI/UX strategy.

How did you come to work with Foxbox Digital?

A friend worked with one of their owners and spoke highly of the Foxbox team. We talked to a few different firms that wanted bigger projects. Foxbox was totally interested in our idea and willing to work with our budget.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $28,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in March 2020, and the partnership’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re able to present the prototype to clients. Their work’s great, and I’m extremely happy with Foxbox.

In the end, their team gave us two renditions in case we needed to fix anything. We did, and they made those changes in a timely fashion.

How did Foxbox Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a Slack channel, so they constantly updated us. In the SOW, we set deadlines for when we wanted to complete certain parts of the project. For the most part, they hit them. Their team was punctual and patient with us. They took the time to explain technical concepts.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were great designers. Their team was extremely creative, helping us to think outside of the box. They were also huge on communication and kept us posted throughout the process.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’re overall really happy. In the beginning, there was a miscommunication. We intended for the product to be used on iOS and Android. In the end, it could only be used for iOS. We also wanted a detailed number of what it would cost to build a live, functional app. It took Foxbox a little while to give us an estimate.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be absolutely clear about the deliverables and have them written down. Make sure that everyone’s on the same page.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of a company in the financial planning and analysis industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Foxbox Digital?

We needed staff augmentation. We were trying to hire people but needed some extra resources during that process, so we brought in someone from Foxbox Digital’s team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided an engineer. We assigned him tickets through our project management software, and he went through those. We essentially just bought chunks of hours from them.

What is the team composition?

We worked with one engineer.

How did you come to work with Foxbox Digital?

I’ve been friends with Rob (Founder & CEO) for years.

How much have you invested with them?

My company spent $10,000–$15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together three months ago. We have hired people internally, but I may need their services again in a few months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We just needed some extra hands on deck to get through our backlog, and they got the work that we gave them done without a lot of overhead. 

How did Foxbox Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

The engineer was great. We gave him some specifics and high-level direction, and he was good about raising flags if things came up. If he had questions, he contacted us via Slack. Otherwise, he just chugged away and did the work. We treated him as a member of the team. He was on our daily standups. Outside of that, he worked directly with some other team members who he talked with more frequently.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve never worked with offshore contractors before, so it was cool to see that they had some good quality people that didn’t require a lot of overhead.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We're a trucking technology company, and I’m the VP and general manager of strategic initiatives.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Foxbox Digital?

We had an outdated mobile app. It’s an app that truck drivers use as part of their daily workflow in picking up and delivering freight. We wanted to improve its UX/UI, and we also wanted to move to a technology stack that’d allow for deployment on multiple operating systems.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Foxbox Digital created a new app for both iOS and Android. They worked off of the previous app to mirror its basic features while incorporating improvements. They utilized React Native.

What is the team composition?

We had daily contact with two people. Throughout the entire lifecycle of the project, we engaged with 4­–5 people.

How did you come to work with Foxbox Digital?

We were specifically looking for someone with React Native expertise. I believe we found them through a Google search.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve probably spent around $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began in September 2019 and they wrapped up in March 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have quantifiable metrics yet, since we’re only rolling out our beta launch next month. I can say that they set us up with a great platform. We found a few places where we’ve had to go back and rework, but overall, they did very good work.

While we experienced a few personnel changes in the middle of the project, and they were great in terms of pivoting.

How did Foxbox Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication was excellent, and the project manager, in particular, was exceptional. They brought a variety of PM tools to the project, which we’ve now incorporated into our own workflow. Their collaborative skill was really top-notch.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their project management was superb.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think there were some areas where we expected them, as React Native experts, to provide more guidance. We would’ve liked to see them exercise their expertise in a stronger way.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure that you have everything set up on your side to enable Foxbox Digital’s success. That’ll help them show up with their A-game. Even if you’re not prepared to work at their level, they’ll certainly accommodate you. Just be prepared to be as engaged as they are, and you’ll get really great results.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of operations at an organization that does youth programming.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Foxbox Digital?

We wanted to create an app where our students could see their daily schedules, update records, and view their profiles. The app would be for both iOS and Android.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We gave Foxbox Digital a set of instructions for designing and developing the app, and they created it together with our development team. The students see a different version of the app than our staff.

I put a screen-by-screen wireframe together using Adobe XD so they could click through a vision for what we wanted. We’ve stuck close to those wireframes. 

We have an existing website, CRM, and database, and we didn’t want to redesign the website for the app. The app is connected by an API to our scheduling databases. They helped us come up with PDF versions of our schedules so they’ll display on the app and print versions. Technologies used include React Native.

What is the team composition?

I’ve been working between the two development teams to make sure we aren’t doing double work.  I work with Rob (Founder, Foxbox Digital). He puts the pieces together, talks about the big picture, and troubleshoots structural issues. 

They also have an account manager named Jasmine (Senior Project Manager, Foxbox Digital) who is amazing. She deals with us during all hours of the day. She’s even been great about having 9 p.m. meetings with me. 

How did you come to work with Foxbox Digital?

We met with many groups (5-6 teams) of all different sizes and price ranges. We purposefully went with Foxbox Digital (even though they don’t have 10 years of history). We chose them based on how well they communicated. We decided we would want to work with them on a day-to-day basis, and that’s proven true.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $50,000 to $199,999 with Foxbox Digital.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in December 2018, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The product works, and I have no complaints about the quality of the work at all. The students love it, and they even liked the first version of the app. They said, “This is so cool.” 

The staff, who used a different version, loved it, too. Foxbox Digital has implemented feedback from users such as the staff with each version. They also want to hear the students’ feedback, and they’ll probably fine-tune things more using those evaluations.

Also, my counterpart in this project and I agree that they meet you where you’re at. They offer suggestions, and they’ll take your suggestions, too. If you say it’s not a priority, they won’t push it. They’re really good at judging people, working with them, and being flexible with their communication. 

How did Foxbox Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

They push me to stay on top of project management. Their strength is flexibility and communication. They’ve been flexible with our needs, and we come with new ones each day as the project grows.

They went in with their eyes open knowing they would need to be responsive. They’re adaptable and open whenever we want to change things. They’ve been flexible whenever I wanted to push more things out or taper back. 

The team has been excellent at following our instructions when it comes to new requirements. For example, they’ll say, “We got it. We just want to talk about what this will mean budgeting and engineering-wise. Do you still want to do it?” 

They couldn’t have foreseen a lot of the hiccups that have come up. As they learn our business, they’re becoming better at predicting what may cause issues. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are very genuine. They weren’t too polished or too big-business, which is what we wanted. We weren’t looking for someone who would simply take a concept, make the whole thing, and hand it over. Since we were developing something on a one-on-one basis with someone all day long, we wanted somebody who would be a part of our team versus someone who would just provide us a final product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They are growing. They couldn’t improve anything about who they are, how they work, or their structure. They have a really nice structure and they should stick with it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Potential customers should know what they want in a development team. If you want someone that’s going to be creative and collaborative and willing to stay in constant communication, they are the best fit. If you want to actively be a part of the process, they are the team to have on your side.