Future Platforms

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re Virgin Active UK, one of the leading fitness operations in the UK. In my role as the digital product manager, I’m leading Virgin Active’s digital transformation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Future Platforms?

Our challenge was figuring out how we, as a traditional fitness operator relying on physical club locations, could become a digital fitness operator. We wanted to provide fitness services both in-person and digitally to reflect people's changing habits post the pandemic. Thus, we needed help to create a mobile experience for our business in the future.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Future Platforms helped us create the mobile experience for Virgin Active to implement in the future. We started our engagement by providing them with a statement of work which they signed off, and we also agreed on the budget. It was a six-week-long process, and the deliverable was a presentation to our senior executive teams to show them what our mobile experience should be for future development.

Among the deliverables created by Future Platforms were the technical specifications that our future app should have and the UX designs required. Additionally, they delivered other assets, including marketing material, to support our business when launching the new app. Although our customer base tends to have a majority of iOS users, we intend to deliver our mobile app for both iOS and Android with Future Platforms’ help.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with around nine people from Future Platforms. However, this was just the first phase of our entire project, so more people from their development team will be involved in the next phase.

How did you come to work with Future Platforms?

We ran a tender process to find a lead mobile development company that could help us develop our mobile experience. We shortlisted 8–9 Tier 1 development companies, which then were whittled down to 5–6 companies using our key selection criteria, one of which was Future Platforms.

Then, we had another tender process during which the selected companies presented and pitched to us twice. During the presentation rounds, the key decision-makers from my company were our IT director, our marketing director, important people from both their teams, and me. Future Platforms’ proposal was the best.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we have invested a significant sum and, all going well, we anticipate further investment in upcoming years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Future Platforms in February 2021, and our engagement is ongoing. We anticipate that we will continue to work with them during the next few years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The key evidence of our engagement’s success is that we now have a clear vision for a mobile experience that will drive more business to us and improve the experience for our customers. What Future Platforms has delivered so far is tightly linked to our business and financial objectives.

We now also have a clear program for successfully developing our app over the next 2–3 years, which includes a yearly plan broken down into detailed stages. Additionally, thanks to Future Platforms’ work, our CEO, senior executives, and stakeholders are completely invested and enthusiastic about our future plans.

How did Future Platforms perform from a project management standpoint?

Future Platforms’ project management is very strong; their work is first class. They’re very detailed, proactive, and concise in managing their resources to ensure that the project stays within budget and timelines. Additionally, they’re very proactive in following up on the deliverables from our side and escalating when items are outside of our schedule. Overall, Future Platforms is very professional, approachable, and easy to work with.

We use TeamGantt and Microsoft Teams for regular communication, and we manage some items using Excel. In the future, we will be using Jira and Confluence to manage the project’s delivery.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Future Platforms is the most collaborative provider I’ve ever worked with. What distinguishes them from others is their ability to understand their clients’ businesses and their customers. They’re always thinking about us and our business, which makes them feel like a part of our company instead of an external vendor. This aspect is very important for our future aspirations.

Additionally, their work is very efficient, streamlined, and creative, and they focus on the bigger picture. They’re at the top of the trade regarding mobile app development, excelling at strategizing, designing, and developing quality mobile experiences.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that Future Platforms could do differently. They’ve been affected by COVID-19, as we all were, but there was nothing they could’ve done about it. Overall, they’re superb to work with.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work closely with them, give them as much information as possible, and treat them as a part of your business.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital coordination manager at First Group Holdings Limited, a transport company that operates across the UK and the US. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Future Platforms?

We needed help with mobile app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Future Platforms developed mobile apps for our bus and rail companies. The apps retail our bus and train tickets and allow customers to plan their trips. They developed the apps for iOS and Android. 

Future Platforms worked with a number of suppliers and technologies, such as TransportAPI, Corethree, and Google, to bring data into the app and present it in a certain way. The apps provide data about bus stops, railway stations, and where buses and trains are. Future Platforms designed the UI.

What is the team composition?

We have a retained team. There are roughly 6–7 people who work on the bus app, and a similar number work on the rail app.

How did you come to work with Future Platforms?

Someone outside of our business had spoken with Future Platforms to see what they had to offer, and they recommended them. 

We were impressed when Future Platforms came in. We liked that they were very forward thinking, open to innovation, dynamic, and accepting of change. They weren’t stuck in their ways. They’re very eager to have a relationship with their clients. It’s almost like they’re on our team rather than just filling a supply role, which I like as well.

How much have you invested with them?

My company spends $1.2 million per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2018, and the engagement’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We got really good apps for both our bus and rail services. People can easily use the apps, and they like them. The apps are market-leading and worth the investment. Everything that Future Platforms does is around the customer experience. 

Both apps are available on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. We now have a million active users, and sales have continued to increase. In September alone, we had our biggest month ever; revenue from just the bus app was around £17 million (approximately $22 million USD). Future Platforms has played a big part in this. 

How did Future Platforms perform from a project management standpoint?

We do things fast and on short notice, but Future Platforms is quite a malleable business. They shift things around for us. They’re also honest; if they can’t fulfill a requirement, they tell us what they can do instead. They provide options rather than just saying they can’t do something.

They have a strong team with very practical people who try and think outside the box. When we first started the relationship, we had to go back a few times to ask for something different, but they learned very quickly. Since then, it’s been a very easy process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re all passionate about their work. The team wants to do the job correctly, and they don’t drop the ball. It’s nice seeing people passionate about something that isn’t even their own. They do the best work they can. It’s always impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had an internal review recently, and it’s hard to mark them down. They do everything we ask and more. Maybe they could tell us we’re demanding too much, but if they did that, we wouldn’t like them as much. They have no real downfalls in my eyes. They’re a good supplier.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re looking to get a market-leading app out there, Future Platforms is a great supplier to use. They have great ideas, and they always consider different ways of doing things. Tell them what you want and let them blow your mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the supporter liaison manager for a professional football league. Our business is to organize the 20 teams in our league. They are all equal shareholders in the competition. We manage the rule book and the registration, but individual clubs have the overall responsibility for their own marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Future Platforms?

Our challenge was producing 2 apps. At that time, we wanted to launch a central platform for supporters, including persons with disabilities. We had access to the information, but not the technical know-how to build an app for ourselves. We identified several gaps. The first one involved looking after league supporters. Another challenge was gathering data from the clubs. The last gap was providing information and rewards for game attendance.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We sent an initial scope of work for designing our fan app. It was full range, from functionality to look and feel. Future Platforms worked on the branding for all our clubs as well as the information the app needed to include. They came up with ideas and produced wireframes for them. We were starting from scratch, so their team was the genesis of the idea. Once we came to an agreement, Future Platforms developed our apps for iOS and Android. We did look at other platforms, but these 2 were the ones we needed the most, based on Future Platforms’ recommendation.

Future Platforms also helped us with focus groups. Since we wanted to be one step removed from the process—we didn’t want to go directly to clubs—Future Platforms set up regional meetings with fans to find out what they wanted from the app. Future Platforms’ team also used the knowledge they gained from developing other apps in the sports industry. These 2 components were pulled together for our end product.

Another company created a different app for users with disabilities, but we wanted a native version that could be embedded into mobile devices. Our goal was to understand what disabled supporters wanted. We also wanted to ensure that the app received an AbilityNet accreditation, which is a hallmark for apps that are considered fully accessible. This was a departure from the first app. Future Platforms helped us figure out what the second app should look like, particularly how to display information on mobile devices. There’s a wealth of detail around our stadiums, but we wanted to make maps the central feature. It was a challenge to display an interactive map for a stadium with different areas and several levels. The map also had to be compatible with mobile tools like Google Maps, allowing it to become a living resource for people on the move. In summary, Future Platforms had to develop a platform that was simple, clear, and easy to use for persons with disabilities.

How did you come to work with Future Platforms?

I wasn’t working for the company when they were first engaged. Based on our notes, we looked at a few different options. My boss picked Future Platforms, but I don’t know how they were chosen. It could have been based on a personal recommendation.

How much have you invested with Future Platforms?

So far, the cost of their work for our 2 apps is around £250,000 [$320,000].

What is the status of this engagement?

I believe we started working with Future Platforms in 2014. The fan app has been completed, and we continue to work on the app for fans with disabilities. Our current agreement with Future Platforms will continue until the end of the next football season. We’ve been working with Future Platforms for a number of years, and we have settled into a path where they know what we’re looking for and can provide it.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We saw both apps as belonging to a niche market, so we didn’t set targets for downloads. We did want to have a high user rating. Both versions had 4 stars the last time I checked. However, we didn’t start a large marketing campaign behind them. Even though we wanted a reasonable number of people to use them, it wasn’t a key metric. We asked for a feedback function for our current app, which Future Platforms implemented. Users can contact us directly and post comments, and we’ve mostly heard positive ones.

We did have an initial problem with the functionality of the first version, specifically with retrieving match scores live. It was resolved with the second roll-out. The app is working fine at the moment. We’ve done periodic updates for cosmetic reasons, not because of bugs. The products developed by Future Platforms are quite reliable.

How did Future Platforms perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re based near us in central London, which is a good thing. They’re a small team, and we work primarily with 2 or 3 people there. They have been accommodating with setting up meetings for patches and updates. After a staff member from Future Platforms left, project management changed on the first app. There were other personnel changes on their side. It wasn’t an ideal set-up. For the second app, we’ve had a separate team with a set project manager. One of Future Platforms’ senior staff members has also made himself available.

What did you find most impressive about Future Platforms?

Future Platforms’ client services stand out. They’re a friendly group, and they understand what we’re looking for. They deliver on time. Some clubs have asked for recommendations, and we’ve been happy to endorse Future Platforms from this perspective.

Are there any areas Future Platforms could improve?

I imagine that most developers work with clients who have more experience on digital platforms. When we were being given updates on Google Analytics for the first app, it would have helped to have more instructions on relevant details. This is a small negative. The caveat is that we didn’t know as much about the field as is normally the case.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a telecommunications company in the UK. I’m senior business manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Future Platforms?

To create useful mobile apps at key sponsorship events which help make our customers experience even better.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve used Future Platforms for a couple of projects, both supporting our brand sponsorships. Once we brief Future Platforms, they come back to us with a proposed strategy and, from there, we work together to deliver. The apps are developed for both iOS and Android.

How did you come to work with Future Platforms?

We found them through our internal procurement team. The team at the time had a list of app agencies on their roster. We went to them with what we wanted to do and the budget, and the procurement team shortlisted some companies for us. We spoke to Future Platforms, and they met our requirements best. They had some really nice ideas for the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2011, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Each project has different objectives, although we tend to focus on engagement. I can’t share any specific figures, but I can say that from the results we can confidently say that the apps have made our customers experiences better. We also closely monitor app store ratings, which are typically excellent.

How did Future Platforms perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re a small agency and, as a result, they’re very personable and easy to get a hold of. Those things are important to me. They make an effort and are friendly.

What did you find most impressive about Future Platforms?

They’re trustworthy. We’ve used them for a number of years, and we know what they deliver is going to work. We trust they’ll do it on time.

Are there any areas Future Platforms could improve?

The only thing that sometimes comes up is cost, but otherwise, they are an excellent agency.