Indiespring

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the program manager at the British Heart Foundation, a charity that does fundraising for research and medical development in heart disease and prevention. We also do science-based research on how to inform patients, the general public, and the National Health Service on the issue.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Indiespring?

We hired Indiespring to develop a solution to let us publicly display defibrillators within a system that was already in place at our organization.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Indiespring produced a website where users could find the nearest defibrillator via a map that links to our database. Their team did all the development in Microsoft and used Orchard as the CRM. The idea behind the project was to ensure that individuals could provide life-saving solutions during an emergency. Indiespring’s responsibility was to take us through the lifecycle of a new solution. They validated our requirements, designed, built, tested, and deployed the solution. During the development, Indiespring ensured the site was optimized for mobile use. 

We also utilize Indiespring’s hosting capabilities and managed services for support. While Indiespring does offer marketing services, we have a large in-house team that handles that. We’re continuing to work with Indiespring to develop a roadmap of what we need to build in the future. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 4–5 teammates from Indiespring, including their project and account manager. We also had some good engagement with their managing director at the start of the project. 

How did you come to work with Indiespring?

. Initially, we did some market research and got referrals from our team. We went through a procurement tender process to find a provider to help develop our site. In the end, we decided to hire Indiespring because their scoring and assessment were successful. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over £100,000 (approximately $126,000 USD) with Indiespring. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Indiespring began in January 2021, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We scrutinized the design, system, architecture, and software solutions in detail before we moved forward with each step of the project. Indiespring has delivered to the scope of the project — they met our requirements, which was important for us. 

How did Indiespring perform from a project management standpoint?

Indiespring has delivered within our budget and the agreed timeline with our in-house time. They’ve gone the extra step to deliver when they need to. We have weekly team meetings, and Indiespring uses a reporting suite to share the project planning. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

First off, Indiespring’s contributions are excellent. Secondly, their team and culture are great. They’re accommodating and want to deliver successfully without exceeding our budget or timelines. Indiespring’s team is enthusiastic about our project and quick to resolve our problems. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their documentation could be more consistent — Indiespring should build a suite of templates and mature their reporting structure. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Indiespring is a smaller organization, which means they have some resource constraints. However, if customers are willing to accept that, they’ll get a good experience.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the product manager for a tourist attraction pass company. With one ticket, users can access multiple tourist attractions and events in various cities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Indiespring?

We had two extremely old and outdated apps, but they were essential for some of our business functions. We brought Indiespring on board to maintain the code of those apps while they were building a new app to replace them.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Before, we had one app for iOS devices and another for Android devices. The app is used by our attraction partners to scan QR codes. Then the app uses an API to interface with our product management system to either admit or reject the customer. Then that information is stored in our data warehouse.

Indiespring maintained those apps and managed updates from Apple and Android. For example, Apple came out with dark mode, and they were challenged to make our app compatible.

We gave them the devices our partners use at the tourist attractions and one of our Bluetooth printers so they knew the apps were working properly. The tester made sure that any new releases on the app worked on our devices.

At the same time, they used Xamarin to build an app with a shared codebase. We had a long list of requirements, and the project was rather complex because we couldn’t have any service interruptions.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Rob (Managing Director), Arran (Head of Client Engagement), their development team, and Louise (Mobile Assurance Tester).

How did you come to work with Indiespring?

Our CTO built a relationship with Indiespring before this project began. I continued to work with them because they’re hands-on and very flexible. They tried to understand our business and were able to find bespoke solutions to our problems.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $60,000–$80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I began working with them in March 2019 and I stopped working with them when I left the company in April 2020. I believe they’re still working together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

During the project, the app functioned well and there were no service interruptions, so the attractions were able to continue running without issues. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to see how the new app operated because our attractions shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moving forward, the project’s success should be measured by how well the migration from the old platform to the new platform goes. The customer shouldn’t notice a difference. Additionally, the new system should report an accurate number of pass scans each day.

How did Indiespring perform from a project management standpoint?

They were easy to work with. They understood the requirements and we had scheduled calls once a week in addition to meetings for sprint planning. We met in-person every 2–3 months to check in with the team. They were proactive and always met their deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They provided a tailored approach to the project and were enthusiastic about what we were trying to do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They don’t need to improve anything. I was happy with their work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You can get the best out of them by providing a solid brief and explaining why you care about the product’s results.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CMO of Action Gaming. We run both a brick and mortar business of video poker and a web presence. We also have apps that we’ve worked on with Indiespring.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Indiespring?

We needed both web and mobile app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have our main website and an extension that’s an app for all platforms. We’re also in the midst of developing a virtual currency app. 80% of what they do is app development, but they also help us prototype games for the web, build HTML that extends to the site and the apps.

They’re doing both straight development as well as strategy. When we have new games, we give them the elements and ask them to build it. As we’ve moved through the app space however, they’ve brought a lot to the table in terms of the positioning in the market. We didn’t know anything about apps before we started working with them; they were an afterthought. The applications are mainly Unity I think, but I’m not the day-to-day technology person.

They also manage our servers, working with our Amazon relationships for web and mobile, as well as help out on our 3rd-party relationships with sales companies.

What is the team composition?

We’ve cut back a little bit because of the pandemic, but we have 10–15 people traditionally. Right now, we’re at 6­­–7 since we cut back on R+D a bit. Their resources include project management, development, and a server specialist.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend around $500,000 a year with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since June 2010.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our clients are end-users, and I can only judge on how they evaluate our apps. That’s all been really positive, so I have to give kudos to Indiespring. They’re not buggy thanks to Indiespring’s heavy testing routine. If we launch something that has a bad experience, that could spread to our brick-and-mortar casinos.

How did Indiespring perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been awesome to deal with. They have quick turnaround. It’s not always easy working with a team in the UK when you’re on the west coast of the United States, but they’re flexible. They make sure they’re available whenever we need them. Part of that is that they’ve kept the same people; the resources have been consistent. They use Slack for the day-to-day stuff, but I use phone and Skype for the high-level stuff.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their attention to detail stands out. And they work well with our development team. They take criticism and direct feedback very well; they don’t get defensive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s never been a problem, but if they got big enough to have someone in the United States that would be nice.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re really open to communication, so don’t make them guess what’s inside your head.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CMO and shareholder at a company that develops solutions for the automotive industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Indiespring?

Our internal team didn’t have the capacity to manage all of our projects. We wanted an outsourced development partner that could complement our in-house team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially started working with them on testing and bug fixing on a range of mobile applications we’d developed. Then, we quickly extended the relationship to outsource other aspects of the development. We co-created a mobile application. Our team handled the UX design and their team did the bulk of the development. 

We’ve handed off several applications, and they maintain them by providing regular operating system updates. They’ve also been part of several sprints. Now, they even interface directly with our customers. 

What is the team composition?

We had a dedicated account management team, and we have regular contact with the founder. They’re a scalable resource, so we have different developers working with us based on our needs. 

How did you come to work with Indiespring?

We heard about them through word of mouth. We looked at about six different companies and selected Indiespring from that process. They demonstrated technical capabilities and we were impressed with their past experience working with security, privacy, and compliance. 

What is the status of this engagement?

I believe we started working with them in 2017, and our work is ongoing

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their performance is less about quantifiable metrics. However, they deliver excellent quality work that often exceeds expectations. We’re confident in having them work directly with our clients. 

How did Indiespring perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very strong communicators and are very transparent. I think they use Jira to manage the projects they work on. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very pragmatic and are flexible, making them a great partner. It has always been easy to reach financial agreements with them. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

There’s nothing I can think of. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

Regular communication helps you make the most out of your relationship.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO and CCO of Lokulus. We’ve recently rebranded from Numero. We provide software for front-office, back-office, operational efficiencies, and customer interaction management. Our clients are organizations of all sizes, from government bodies and large banks to small- and medium-sized enterprises.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Indiespring?

First of well, as a software business, we curate our own products. We don’t build bespoke software, but, occasionally, clients call us needing bespoke extensions to our software. They’ve worked on three or four projects total, including some mockups for proof of concepts for some of the larger banks in Europe. We do the outlines, the high-level wireframes with our client to determine what the end-user would need, but not the UX/UI. Then, we worked with Indiespring to provide creative (UX/UI) and actual development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Specifically, with Indiespring, we needed a full-service mobile app that allowed our client’s customers to sign up for services, check credit on their accounts, make payments, and transfer charges. Beyond developing that app they had to integrate with multiple services. On other projects, they’ve built desktop UIs.

What is the team composition?

That particular project would have had four people from Indiespring including a QA tester, a developer, a UI expert.

How did you come to work with Indiespring?

The founder of Indiespring used to work for us a long time ago and we kept in touch.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $150,000 on this full-service app.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on the app project from January until July 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The clients recently moved away from the app, but that’s only because they were taken over by another company. They were very pleased and satisfied with the app beforehand thought.

They didn’t expect to get many customers signing up for it because it was predominately aimed at one of the large Caribbean Islands but they got really good penetration of their existing consumer base to sign up for the app. That resulted in fewer calls going into the contact center because the customers could self-serve.

How did Indiespring perform from a project management standpoint?

They operate very much as we do in an agile sense. We haven’t been having daily standups, but we have frequent check-ins. We gave them a lot of free reign about how to develop the app — just some functional requirements. We trusted them to develop the app and give us traditional agile weekly feedback.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re fast, responsive, and always fair with their feedback. They always tell us if we’re asking too much of them. They won’t commit to something they can’t deliver.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. They’re not a large organization, which brings advantages and disadvantages. You may be able to argue that they’re resource-constrained, but then it’s up to us to plan accordingly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open with them and honest about what your real goals and timelines are.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director at Blakemore’s Commercial Advisory, a consulting firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Indiespring?

I had an idea for an application within the finance space. We needed someone to develop it for me. I also needed help with digital marketing to increase my presence and marketing channels.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed an app based on my concept. I built the financial models and Indiespring built an Azure cloud-based portal to host the models. They also developed a user interface using Tableau, a data science tool that was integrated into the cloud-based system. Through the cloud, my clients get Tableau reports from the financial model. 

They also built my website and helped me with some of my digital marketing strategies. This included creating white papers and templates. They’ve helped me maintain a consistent brand, and they provided guidance on how to market through various channels, primarily LinkedIn. 

They also produced a promotional video. It was a 3-minute animation to elevate the pitch.  

What is the team composition?

Rob (Managing Director) was my main point of contact. I’ve worked with 6-7 others as well, including their animators.

How did you come to work with Indiespring?

I heard about them through word-of-mouth. Initially, I had a discussion with Rob because I was pretty much in the dark. I had a concept in mind, but I had no idea how to actually go about it. Rob gave me an idea of how to go about it, and it was very appealing to me. Rob came to Australia for a few days and we flushed out the idea in person.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $100,000-110,000 AUD (approximately $64,000-$70,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2017, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m amazed by the end result. They brought my idea to life. Clients and potential clients have been really impressed with the product. The marketing videos are professional and look fantastic. I have peers that look at my website, and they want to copy it. 

The app itself is a game-changer. I’ve entered into a global competition for innovation in the infrastructure and project finance space. I’m getting mentoring from MIT as a result of their help. 

How did Indiespring perform from a project management standpoint?

There’s a time difference, but they’re very well set up to accommodate their clients in different time zones. We primarily used Zoom. Rob is a busy guy and sometimes it was a bit of a challenge trying to get some time on the calendar. In terms of meeting deadlines and getting deliverables turned around, they were fantastic.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They listen. The financial sector isn’t a space they’ve worked in before, but they were able to connect the dots. The way they work is second to none. They ask the right questions and sought feedback at the right times.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The most frustrating aspect of it was the fact that I’m in Australia and they’re in the UK. I was leaning on their CEO. When he needed to, Rob got on a plane and came to Australia for 3-4 days to do a whiteboard session with me. However, I can’t fault them for something they can’t control.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do some brainstorming with Rob. His ideas are fantastic.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the operations director for a usage-based insurance broker that uses technology supplied by a global group to provide insurance policies to young drivers. Through measuring and monitoring, we help them access a suite of rewards and less expensive premiums in their early driving years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Indiespring?

We have a very tech-heavy product and environment, so we have a pretty significant need for development partners as a result. At first, we tried to keep that process in house, but in recent years realized that we could be doing a better job with a little bit of external help.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They primarily assist us with mobile app development and maintenance on our main product for both iOS and Android. We have been able to integrate them as an effective extension of our in-house development team, and they assist on special projects where we need either specific expertise or greater speed and agility.

We’ve also worked with them on separate standalone mobile app development projects where we want to launch a service in a new segment of the market and our internal stack doesn’t necessarily allow us to take advantage of the opportunity. Right now, we’re working with them to build out a product roadmap for our entire ecosystem of offerings.

What is the team composition?

Over the last couple of years, we’ve worked with around six people from their team, consisting primarily of QA testers, project managers, analysts, developers, and executives.

How did you come to work with Indiespring?

We went out into the market and conducted some research and tests to see who the best option for us would be. After receiving several pitches and recommendations, Indiespring emerged as the most respectable, technically skilled partner and the company that we wanted to work with.

How much have you invested with them?

In total, their work has cost around £250,000 (approximately $310,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership started around May 2018 and is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There are two key metrics that we really focus on for them, the first of which is delivery on time and in budget. They have performed perfectly in that regard time after time. We also used them for a mobile assurance program, which involves making sure that all of our apps are continuing to run smoothly and stay updated for our customers. We’ve been really satisfied with all of the work that they do there.

One of the things they’ve demonstrated time after time is their ability to operate at a very high level within the agile format. They do a great job of breaking work down into sprints, coming back to us with a very accurate statement of just how long each piece of that development is going to take, and then just hitting the ground running.

How did Indiespring perform from a project management standpoint?

We use certain technologies to collaborate but have regular face-to-face meetings or calls as well, and that has always helped us to flag issues that come up relatively early. That includes Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Trello — although we are planning to switch to JIRA — so that everyone can see what’s going on at all times. They are always incredibly willing to jump on the phone to explain anything, and that allows us to preempt a lot of issues that other companies have.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think the thing that sets Indiespring apart from other external partners of this kind is that they take the problem on as if it’s a collective problem as opposed to telling you that you have a problem and then waiting for you to tell them what you want to do to fix it. Not only do they know what they’re doing, but they genuinely act as partners with you to execute it.

These days, it is incredibly important to work with somebody you trust. It would be entirely fair to say that over the time that we have worked with them, we have developed a huge degree of trust up and down both of our organizations, and that has massively benefited our work together.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There could always be a little bit of improvement in terms of proactivity and spotting issues before they arise, but that’s not something I would fault them for. It comes in every partnership with time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Meet them face-to-face if you can, or video call at least because that connection will really help you to develop the trust that you need to have a really successful relationship.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of software at Interlink, an IT consulting firm. We perform business service management, aligning IT hardware and services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Indiespring?

We provide a mobile application for one of our customers. We identified an area where we needed a bit of expertise from an outside provider.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The mobile app project was our initial engagement with Indiespring. Since then, they’ve helped on multiple projects, taking on a staff augmentation role. If we ever need to scale up our team, we know we can approach them for support and extra resources.

Generally, the team specializes in frontend development for mobile apps. They work in Ionic and JavaScript-based frameworks, creating solutions that are compatible with both iOS and Android. Further, the team has design capabilities, and they often build wireframes to go along with the products they develop.

What is the team composition?

The amount of resources we get varies from project to project, but it’s typically on the smaller side. Usually, we have a project manager, and account manager, and a few developers.

How did you come to work with Indiespring?

I’d worked with Indiespring in the past in another role at a different company. They were a local company with strong reviews. When a need for support came up in this role, I knew to turn to them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $20,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in April 2017, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When Indiespring is involved with a project with us, they work right alongside our team. They’re very flexible, however, and if we would ever need them to complete deliverables on their own, they’re willing to do that as well. Mostly, though, we maximize our engagement by collaborating closely with Indiespring. We enjoy the opportunity to learn from their experts and ask them questions as we go, rather than sending out a project to be completed offsite. All in all, the relationship has worked out very well. We’re impressed with the quality of deliverables they provide. 

How did Indiespring perform from a project management standpoint?

Indiespring completes everything they say they’re going to complete, when they say they’ll complete it. When they’re not onsite with us, we keep in touch with the team through web meetings. They take an agile approach to project management, which works well because that’s what we use as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team has a great attitude—they’re keen to help out wherever they can. If there’s a gap in our knowledge, we feel confident we can call them for consultation. Even if it’s out of scope for them, they’re always forthcoming with information.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing that comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Indiespring is extremely flexible; they could fit in with any organization.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company builds structural thermal connections, handles high-performance installation and vibration isolation of building acoustics, and specialist mounting and leveling. That involves making sure that factories are designed correctly and that machines are being used most efficiently in how they’re fixed to walls.

I’m the technical director, so I look after our major project groups, specifically within our vibration estimation work. I also oversee engineers and our commercial presence in the market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Indiespring?

We have an internal marketing department, but our capacity is constrained. There are few companies that do what we do, so we sometimes find it difficult to communicate our technical work. For that reason, we struggle to fill marketing roles. We brought in their team to fill in our marketing resource needs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We don’t do much traditional marketing, so their work is largely within the digital marketing world. They’ve handled everything from general website maintenance and hosting to web design, UX, and user journeys. Working from scratch, the revamped our website with WordPress. They’ve also done paid marketing campaigns with them. 

Their team really stands out in their conversion optimization process. They identify areas of improvement for us in our marketing, explain their importance to our sales operations. As a company with limited internal marketing resources, it’s good for us to have a partner that can strategize as well as implement.  

What is the team composition?

We have a team of 1–3 people that manages conversion optimization. At a high level, we get a lot of input from Rob (Managing Director) as well. We had regular interactions with another teammate as well. They also have a large studio of people working behind the scenes.  

How did you come to work with Indiespring?

I used to play hockey with their owner, so I kept them in mind when I needed marketing services. We made sure there wouldn’t be a conflict of interest, but we’ve been running with them ever since.

What is the status of this engagement?

We contracted them for our website in November 2016, and our teams are still working together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In their conversion optimization efforts, they’ve approached us with desired changes and were able to make them happen. We’ve seen significant performance improvements in their reporting that are positively impacting the business.

One of the reasons we’ve been working with them for so long is their data-driven approach and its ability to demonstrate our ROI. They go the extra mile to make sure they’ve highlighted how their work has benefitted us financially.  

How did Indiespring perform from a project management standpoint?

Sometimes we need to give them a little poke for communication, but other times they’re exceptionally proactive. This is likely a testament to how busy they are.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

If they implement something that doesn’t work, they’re honest about it. There’s no sugarcoating the situation. They’re great at taking responsibility for their work and explaining the logic behind their reporting. They’re transparent, clear, and honest, which makes all the difference. That’s what is leading us into a retained relationship with them.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

They may rely too much on project management tools rather than person-to-person communication. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’ve worked with many other agencies, but they’ve made our relationship more refreshing and straightforward than others.