Inventive Works

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder and CEO of a software company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company is a software solution designed to streamline compliance for childcare and adult care centers. It simplifies meal tracking, employee timesheet management, reporting, and documentation to ensure adherence to policy guidelines, reducing administrative burden and maximizing reimbursement for child care centers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Inventive Works to accomplish?

• We hired Inventive to create a solution that addresses the challenges we were facing with our previous provider, which had a cumbersome interface and non-intuitive UX. Our team was spending countless hours on operational tasks that could be optimized to save time. Additionally, the childcare centers we work with reported dissatisfaction with the current solution. Our goal in approaching Inventive was to develop a fast, intuitive software that enhances user experience and significantly improves workflow efficiency.

SOLUTION

How did you find Inventive Works?

Online Search

Why did you select Inventive Works over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Inventive Works were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The scope of work includes the development of a comprehensive software solution for childcare and adult care compliance and employee timesheet management; specifically tailored for providers. The key deliverables include:

1. User Experience (UX) Design: Creating an intuitive, user-friendly interface that simplifies daily operations for both childcare providers and our team.
2. Compliance Module: Development of tools to streamline meal tracking, reporting, and documentation to ensure adherence to policy guidelines.
3. Employee Timesheet Management: Integrating a feature that allows for efficient tracking and management of employee work hours.
4. Digital Form Creation: Developing digital forms to significantly reduce paperwork, making data entry and submission more efficient and organized.
5. Testing and Quality Assurance: Thorough testing to ensure that the software performs as expected, with a focus on reliability and ease of use.
6. Deployment and Support: Providing deployment support and ongoing assistance to ensure a smooth transition from the existing solution to the new platform.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate its success include a significant improvement in operational efficiency. Specifically, we saw a reduction in the time spent on key tasks such as meal tracking, reporting, and employee timesheet management. Tasks that previously took hours were streamlined, saving our team and childcare centers hundreds of hours overall. Additionally, user satisfaction increased, as evidenced by positive feedback from childcare centers that had expressed dissatisfaction with the previous solution. These outcomes underscore the effectiveness of the new system in optimizing workflows and improving user experience.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Their project management has been highly effective and responsive. The team at Inventive has consistently delivered items on time, keeping the project on track through regular updates and clear communication. They use agile methodologies, allowing for flexibility and quick adjustments based on our feedback. Whenever we had specific needs or changes, they were proactive in addressing them, ensuring our priorities were met without compromising the project timeline. Overall, their ability to manage the project efficiently and adapt to our requirements has been a key factor in the success of the partnership.

What was your primary form of communication with Inventive Works?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What impressed us most about Inventive was their diligence in understanding our requirements and their commitment to fully grasping our business model. Their team conducted a thorough discovery process to ensure the solution aligned with our needs, going beyond just technical development. Additionally, they provided valuable insights and support with our go-to-market (GTM) strategy, helping us refine our approach to maximize impact. Their attention to detail and proactive collaboration set them apart from other service providers.

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

There are no specific areas for improvement that stand out. We thoroughly enjoyed working with the Inventive team, and they consistently met or exceeded our expectations throughout the project. Their professionalism, responsiveness, and attention to detail made the collaboration smooth and successful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the technology manager of a company called SchoolSAFE Communications, a safety technology company that installs safety management systems into schools and school districts around Colorado.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Inventive Works?

We were left high and dry by a previous development partner and had a failing Node-based app, so we needed someone who can help us figure out what was wrong with the app and completely rebuild it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Inventive Works has been our primary development partner in providing us with our custom software development requirements.

We started by identifying the problem of the app, which was followed by the actual redevelopment of the product. We’ve since been working together in an ongoing capacity to present us with custom software solutions.

What is the team composition?

We mainly interact with two engineers, a developer, and a sales associate.

How did you come to work with Inventive Works?

We came across Inventive Works through Clutch.Co.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve invested close to $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in September 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Inventive did such an amazing job of quickly adjusting their workflow to meet our business style. They respected my time and allowed me to have more focus on the more important aspects of my business.

How did Inventive Works perform from a project management standpoint?

Their approach to project management has been well-organized because we also have a high-level relationship manager we can openly communicate with — they give me the space to air my grievances and request changes I’d like to make.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I liked that they actually understood what our needs were from the beginning, and we were very impressed with their velocity in adapting to our business model.

Other than that, we like their transparent approach to the development, as they always provide us with updates on the progress of each task consistently.

Are there any areas they could improve?

One thing they need to improve on is the turnover rate for their project managers. Their level of understanding varies from person to person, and sometimes it feels like they come from a different contractor.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

To get the most out of your engagement with Inventive Works, I would advise you to be transparent with them and be very concise with your expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of product management at CLIPr, a video analysis and management tool. Folks can upload videos on our platform so our AI and machine learning technology can index their files. Once those videos are returned, users can browse, find, and share any chunk of them based on their content. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Inventive Works?

We needed help setting up a Zapier integrated framework so we could easily connect with other platforms. In addition, we were looking for someone to support the integration of our platform with Chargify and a custom sign-on solution that was to be implemented through Microsoft Teams. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Inventive Works’ CTO has come up with a general approach, and they’ve worked on developing the code. We’ve proceeded using agile processes as we discover, debug, and work around our Chargify issues. 

Our goal has been to allow an initial user to create an account and try our services through Microsoft Teams while having their company registered in Chargify. Additionally, we’ve been looking to add other users within the company’s profile and automatically include them in one billing.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with one developer, but more people are working in the background. 

How did you come to work with Inventive Works?

Our CTO worked with Inventive Works in the past. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since June 2021, and our relationship is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re extremely happy with Inventive Works’ services. We’ve set a goal, and they’ve been able to hit it.

How did Inventive Works perform from a project management standpoint?

We primarily communicate through Slack. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Inventive Works’ team is composed of self-starting problem solvers. They find issues, suggest solutions, and act on things quickly and methodically. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You’ve got to know what you’re doing because Inventive Works’ team is smart and will rise to the challenge. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a controller at a commodities trading firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Inventive Works?

We needed their team to build our ERP system.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Inventive Works incorporated different data components into our database and automated our processes by crafting our ERP system. They developed solutions that enabled us to calculate payment terms, store all our product information, and make our data more accessible to our overseas team and traders.

What is the team composition?

We worked with about 6–7 resources throughout the project.

How did you come to work with Inventive Works?

We initially onboarded a different provider to build our product, but they weren’t able to meet our requirements in the long run. I knew about Inventive Work’s team and their previous projects, so I reached out to them and discussed our needs.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $30,000–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from July–October 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Inventive Works brought their expertise and dedication to the table and delivered a system that mirrored our requirements. We didn’t set any particular KPIs for their work, but our entire team was happy with their performance.

How did Inventive Works perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via email, phone calls, and Zoom meetings. Unlike our previous partner, Inventive Works had top-notch project management and communication skills — they made it a point to provide weekly progress reports with detailed completion percentages, and they kept all their lines open to address our needs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were most impressed with Inventive Work’s utmost understanding of our needs, transparency, and the reasonable price point of their services.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I couldn’t point out anything constructive about their work — we had nothing but a positive experience with Inventive Works.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a solid grasp of what you want to achieve to help them build and narrow down more tailored solutions that can address those.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Texas A&M University Health Science Center (Texas A&M Health) comprises five colleges (dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health) and several centers and institutes with a shared mission of advancing health care for all. I serve as the Chief Communications Officer and Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Communications of Texas A&M Health.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Inventive Works?

We hired inventive during a reduction in staffing of our internal web team to complete ongoing site redesigns and to establish an enhanced support system with varied levels of expertise.

SOLUTION

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

After review of several approved university vendors, Inventive stood out as a clear front runner in terms of broad expertise related to our systems, the modern approach they take to their projects and affordability.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

The initial redesign project involved the development of a site design that was already in motion from our internal team, with enhancements along the way as content was reviewed and re-populated, along with a keen eye and implementation for SEO best practices both on-page and technical. The ongoing support contract focuses on web design, UX, SEO and site navigation for the most part from wireframes to live sites/pages.

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

We've worked with anywhere from 5 - 10 team members at Inventive across sales, engineering managers, project managers, experience designers, web developers and SEO partners.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Overall the services provided have been forward thinking, quickly implemented and received well. Inventive has proven to be a very collaborative partner in enhancing our current and new websites. From a leadership perspective it provided us a team of skilled expertise across a variety of positions in a more economical way than an-house team could provide.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project manager is consistently a good communicator across the board in not only managing the project(s) through their lifecycle, but also in updates, tasks, timelines and deliverables. We communicate through weekly check-ins, emails, calls and Slack. It has been a very convenient communication process.

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

This overall has been a very positive experience. As any new relationship goes there can be speed bumps along the way as things kick-off and Inventive was very proactive and collaborative in working through those items to reach the best end product and relationship.

Their modern design and optimization have been fantastic additions to our web infrastructure, as well as the timeliness in which projects are accomplished.

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

Not at this time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of eCatholic, one of the largest web hosting providers for the Catholic Church in the US.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Inventive Works?

We needed a frontend development partner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We were in the process of building a new web application on top of our existing product offerings when we sought assistance from Inventive Works. Initially, we conducted a scoping process to explain our requirements and project goals to their team. 

They then referred to our development solutions to build the frontend of our app, mostly relying on React. They worked with our engineering team to complete the design of our platform, which is now nearing its go-live stage.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, a senior designer, two software architects, one managing partner, and one account executive.

How did you come to work with Inventive Works?

Inventive Works was referred to me by a close acquaintance. We had a vetting process that involved other service providers, but they stood out and met our expectations in terms of proximity, price point, and service quality.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from January–August 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Inventive Works met our expectations by delivering a sustainable and high-quality app design. They successfully designed a deliverable that our in-house team could manage and maintain easily, which was truly our main metric for their work.

How did Inventive Works perform from a project management standpoint?

We conducted regular meetings organized by their project manager and relied on Jira and Confluence for project management.

Inventive Works was a highly collaborative and proactive team — they met our deadlines and brought innovative ideas to the table while paying close attention to our team’s feedback and preferences. Overall, we had a flawless engagement because of their team’s ideal communication skills and transparent workflow.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were most impressed with their team’s adaptable nature. It mattered to us that they created a product that met our needs and mirrored our ideas and preferences. 

Additionally, we never worried about being stuck in the process because they were always prepared with useful alternatives and spot-on solutions that addressed any issue we encountered.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We didn’t encounter any areas for improvement. Inventive Works was one of the best companies we worked with — we were pleased with everything they delivered.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear understanding of what you want to build, and don’t hesitate to seek advice from their project manager if your ideas need some refinement. Inventive Works will help you meet your needs as long as you communicate these concisely and transparently.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a software company that provides virtual data room software for secure document sharing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Inventive Works?

We needed to scope out and design a new virtual data room software.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did research and discovery of what it’d take to build the software we wanted and what the cost would be. We decided to kill the project because the total cost and other dynamics like the market and prospect of growth weren’t a good investment.

What is the team composition?

We initially worked with their president, but then Laura (Sales Director) became our main point of contact. We also worked with James (Principal Software Engineer) on coming up with the scope of work and with another person who did most of the coding. We ended up working with 4–5 people from their team.

How did you come to work with Inventive Works?

Clutch got us in touch with different potential developers to help us out, but we ended up going with them because we liked their professionalism and approach to work with the product.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $10,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February–May 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Even though we killed the project, we were impressed by their willingness to work with us on coming up with the right decision.

How did Inventive Works perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great at meeting deadlines, open, and easy to communicate with. Laura did a great job, and I enjoyed working with her.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The job they did made us happy. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on. 

Any advice for potential customers?

Give them a call, and they’ll walk you through everything to help you out. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the president of an IT company. We manage search engines for other companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Inventive Works, LLC?

We have a platform that runs n multiple clouds and needed help implementing part of our software platform by extending it to Azure.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Inventive Works, LLC provided cloud consulting services. They enabled our platform to run on Azure. They used Azure SDKs and Java for this project. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, a senior director, and a developer.

How did you come to work with Inventive Works, LLC?

I have a personal relationship with the CEO of Inventive Works, LLC. I was looking for someone who could do it quickly and within our reasonable budget, so we decided to work with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested between $50,000–$199,999.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement ran from January 2021–March 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We reviewed the code as it was submitted, and then merged it into our codebase. I gave them an initial project roadmap and some synchronization points that weren’t followed. The code that was delivered did what it had to do, so I was satisfied with that aspect of the project.

How did Inventive Works, LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

Our teams met every week and had good conversations. Their team was quick to respond to any questions I had and always followed up on them. When I did provide them with feedback about the lack of synchronization, they took my feedback seriously.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their code did what it was supposed to do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We did have some issues with the project roadmap it wasn’t followed exactly how I laid it out. I think they normally deal with companies that don’t have developers, so they weren’t used to the level of scrutiny. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They are quite good technically and really know their stuff. Make sure they are following the plan you want them to follow. Set clear guidelines.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We design and manufacture firearms and accessories. I am the founder and owner of the business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Inventive Works, LLC?

We wanted to redesign our existing e-commerce website on a new platform.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to increase our conversion ratio and average order size by implementing a website that was better looking and easier to use, for under $10,000 and within a 2-month turnaround.

SOLUTION

How did you select Inventive Works, LLC?

Inventive came highly recommended from a family member of one of our senior employees--he had worked directly with Greg for years, and vouched for his professionalism.

I trust the employee, so we made the initial contact and consult. I knew after a couple of meetings, that these are the sort of people I would want to work with. They were polite, transparent, and thorough.

Describe the project in detail.

We had two initial meetings to discuss the scope of the project. I presented Inventive with some mockups from my graphic design guy, and they came back to me with a proposal. First we worked on selecting an appropriate platform; they recommended BigCommerce and explained why.

Then we selected an appropriate theme to build upon. That was followed by the basic layout, product import, rebuilding of the old pages, and tweaking. The final steps were to select the BigCommerce membership level, and sign up for Authorize.net.

Inventive pushed most of these processes and was clear about when they needed me to act. There were weekly meetings and progress reports.

What was the team composition?

The team composition was a project manager, overseeing a lead developer and a specialist developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Overall, the project is a success: our conversion rate increased from 3.5% to roughly 5.5%. In the world of e-commerce, that's enormous. Frankly, I was hoping for a single percent, so to double that is truly excellent.

The average order has stayed static, but that's moreso because we have been out of stock on our core products than any deficit in the website construction.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Overall, very effective. Each week, on Monday, I had a meeting with the project manager and lead developer. We would review the progress, check-in, get any questions answered, and make decisions about moving forward.

I had occasional direct calls and emails with the lead developer to address any more urgent issues. These were smooth and effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Everyone was overwhelmingly easy to communicate with. Everything was explained up front, they were completely transparent in their processes, and they delivered. The final project was within 10% of the estimated hours, and was absolutely built to my satisfaction.

Are there any areas for improvement?

This is a bit of a nitpick. Inventive made such an overwhelming effort to be polite and to manage my expectations, that I found myself occasionally becoming impatient. That's moreso a style preference -- I tend to prefer blunt communication.

That being said, having spent thousands of hours dealing with customers, I understand erring on the side of being diplomatic!