Interface Management

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a senior system analyst for a telecommunications company. We provide wholesale internet capacity and data warehousing services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Interface Management?

We didn’t have anyone on the marketing team nor within the company that had the skills for web development. As a client, we found it hard to explain what we wanted. We knew that we wanted a new look for our website and that we needed a company that would hear us out and give us alternatives. We hired Interface Management as a contractor.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Interface Management designed and developed our entire website. They helped us with analytics and contact forms. They also did the whitepaper part of the site and created an interactive map that shows our networks, where we operate, and our point of presence (PoP). Currently, they provide support for any technical issues we encounter on the site.
 
They also do health checks on the site and provide feedback and recommendations on what we can do to improve. They looked at the performance of one of our sites and suggested that we restructure it. We noticed that we had to constantly update our plugins. They said that it was because we installed plugins that weren’t compatible with the website. The plugins were not communicating properly, and we needed to clear them up on the site. Now, we’re restructuring the website and improving its speed and search functions.
 
We are now planning on getting in-house developers on board, but it’s not yet finalized. Thus, we buy 80 hours of support which could last for 6–12 months. We use it for any on-demand support we need, such as implementing new enhancements or troubleshooting issues. They also provide training for us as part of the contract. Every time there’s a change or new enhancements, there’s training involved.

 What is the team composition?

We have one point of contact.

How did you come to work with Interface Management?

When I joined the company, Interface Management was already selected as a consultant. Our marketing team researched WordPress website developers, and they found Interface Management. That’s how we started working with them.

How much have you invested with them?

The initial project we worked on in January 2016 was paid in local currency and then converted into euros, which was around €13,000–€15,000 (approximately $16,000–$18,000 USD).
 
In the following years, we’ve paid around €3,500 (approximately $4,000 USD) for 80 hours of support.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2016, and the project took about 3–4 months. Currently, they do the maintenance work. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This might not be applicable to other companies, but because we didn’t have any qualified web developers in-house, Interface Management played the role and advised us of best practices. They tell us which plug-ins are safe and what to do if something is going to be discontinued.
 
We’re restructuring the website because me and other people in the company installed plug-ins without properly checking the impact they had on other plug-ins. We just knew that they were safe. Interface Management saw the state of the website and offered to help with the installation. We ended up doing it ourselves, but they have advised us of the risks of installing them without proper checks and full understanding of what we’re doing. The support they provide is very broad and wide. They help us in development when we know what we want, and they also tell us the best practices and what we should look out for.

How did Interface Management perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management aspect is quite organized. We told them our requirements to the best of our abilities. Interface Management gave us sketches based on what they understood and provided us alternatives and options for improvement. 
 
Once we were clear on the project plan including the deliverables, timelines, and budget, we did the contract. It just followed the normal project cycle — we did the analysis, planning, completion, and testing.
 
Whenever there are delays in the project, it’s not because they failed to deliver on time. Rather, it’s late because of our change requests. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Since we didn’t have a person who fully understood the website, it was hard to give a clear idea of what we wanted. However, Interface Management has been very patient in clarifying the requirements and making it manageable, to the point where they could explain what the end product would look like.
 
There were times when we had already approved something and we made changes that were slightly outside of the scope. The changes were not drastic or heavy, and Interface Media was okay with making those small to medium changes.
 
Interface Management has been very welcoming and accepting of the skill set we lack, and they’re flexible in adapting and adjusting the support they provide; that has been really helpful. Until we get someone in the company that understands what the world of websites requires, we’re going to have this gap filled by Interface Management as our consultant. 
 
Overall, they’ve been very positive. Interface Management listens and is okay with making changes. When they don’t, we understand why because the request might not be as simple as we think. So far, the communication with them has worked.