GCT company

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder of a firm specializing in brand development for various online stores and digital services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire GCT company, and what were your goals?

We initially engaged a local web development firm that worked on our web application project for over a year and the developers never completed the project goals.

We made the decision to hire GCT Company to recreate the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for our initial gift exchange web application. After launch we pivoted our model to focus on a slightly different approach where users can find, gift and wish for various service-based gifts.

GCT Company completed the initial MVP on time and on budget and we are continuing to work with them on refining our newest service model.

SOLUTION

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

We searched online for various vendors and found that GCT Company has great reviews and were very reasonably priced. After discussing the scope of the project GCT Company gave us valuable advice and made sure we weren't wasting our money on building features that were low, or no value to our customers.

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

We provided GCT Company with high-fidelity user screens on Figma so that we could clearly communicate the user experience goals. We also provided a list of user stories for each feature that defined the MVP. We collaborated on Figma and Trello to resolve issues with the user experience goals and the challenges with development. The ultimate solution is built using Laravel.

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

We worked exclusively with Oleg, one of the owners of GCT Company, who engaged other resources behind the scenes. We preferred to have 1 point of contact to make coordination easier.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have not yet launched our latest service model, but the development work that GCT Company has created matches our UX goals. We expect to have improved loading time, customer experience and customer retention from the work GCT Company has created.

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

We communicated primarily through Figma and Trello to resolve issues. GCT Company was always responsive to our needs and when timelines were challenged, GCT Company always made sure to communicate expectations as clearly as possible.

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

Their honesty and the valuable insights they shared are invaluable. He made sure that we were not wasting our time and money on low, or no value features that could be deferred to a later date.

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

Because we needed to revisit our service model mid-way through the project, it caused GCT Company some challenge to accommodate their other clients while we performed some additional customer research.

GCT Company was patient with us and wasn't able to prioritize our work when we were ready, but we agreed on a plan to complete the remaining work that wasn't an ideal timeline for us, but we understood the challenge GCT Company had with pausing and re-starting our project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We create customized meal plans for our customers. I’m the owner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with GCT Company?

We needed a developer that could help us with ad hoc tasks.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked on a number of things with GCT Company, such as API integrations, updating payment methods, and creating a secondary product inside the members’ area.

One of our API integrations is with a geo identification tool used to show the appropriate pricing and currency to the user based on their location.

The GCT Company team also works with our website, which is built in Laravel PHP. Everything on it was custom-made, so setting it up required a lot of work. The site is responsive. The members’ area product required creating an algorithm for customizing it to our users, which GCT Company took on.

What is the team composition?

I worked with two people from GCT Company.

How did you come to work with GCT Company?

GCT Company had really good reviews on Upwork. I had an interview with them, and everything went well. I decided to work with them, and it was a good decision.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was above $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with GCT in August 2019 and finished one year later. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The algorithm they created has to work depending on what the customer answers in a questionnaire. It’s working to a T, so I would call it a success. 

The main thing we’re selling is website memberships. We’re getting positive feedback and very low refund rates.

How did GCT Company perform from a project management standpoint?

Our teams communicated via Skype, and they were efficient and fast. We agreed on deadlines, and they communicated in time. We were always up to date, and deadlines were met.

What did you find most impressive about them?

GCT Company went the extra mile to make sure we got exactly what we needed. They communicated and asked questions, and they strived to overdeliver.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could be more agile. I would send them tasks over the weekend. I understand that they also have weekends to take off. That was a thing that I would’ve appreciated, but I understand that that’s a difficult thing to do. It would’ve been better for me, specifically for this project. I guess that’s pretty normal for any developer.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Summarize everything they needed done, have GCT review it, and have a call with them to get everyone on the same page. Then, I’d set up the milestones and get going.