Luminary

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the former head of digital systems at Cancer Council Australia, a nonprofit organization. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Luminary?

We were replacing our CMS to service our core website and microsites, and we hired Luminary to help us.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our internal team took the lead on this project, while Luminary advised and helped us scale when required. We used a headless CMS in which Luminary were market experts. Meanwhile, their resources provided us with support when we needed to scale up in various areas. We also used their team for frontend development and UX design as necessary. 

Moreover, since it was our first time to develop a CMS internally, Luminary helped us check our pipelines, architecture, and UX design. They didn’t do hands-on work all the time, but they served as a key part of what we were doing, helping us ensure we were in the right direction in terms of our decisions.

What is the team composition?

We worked with their CTO, delivery director, and UX manager. Other members of the team included the frontend manager, lead frontend developer, and architecture manager. Overall, we worked with around 5–6 people on a regular basis. 

How did you come to work with Luminary?

We knew them through one of the CMS platforms we were considering. That platform was the most responsive one, and it had the best products we needed. When we decided to use it, we were introduced to a range of agencies that could support it — Luminary was one of them.

We met with their CTO and knew that they were the right fit for us. They were excited about the project, and the team wanted to ensure that we were going down the right path. We also liked that they worked across multiple products and CMS platforms. As a result, they could validate that the CMS we chose was right for our requirements. We did some back and forth conversations before we ultimately hired them. 

What is the status of this engagement?

This project lasted from October 2019–July 2020. 

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

We measured success in a few ways. For one, we checked our work efficiency. Our previous CMS was a legacy open-source platform that didn’t work; we couldn’t always publish on it. By contrast, we were able to publish content on a regular basis using the platform that Luminary worked on, and we could update its look, feel, and functionality via our in-house team. 

In terms of quantitative metrics, we looked at our website traffic. Whenever we did a massive migration campaign, our traffic would usually take a hit of 20%–30% while Google sorted out changes. With that in mind, our website took a minimal hit as we did the migration with Luminary. Then, our traffic rebounded quite quickly, so the project was successful in this regard.

On top of that, we were also able to bring 3–5 topic-specific microsites into the new CMS platform. This was possible because we and Luminary laid the groundwork for the microsites; the original project’s libraries had great reusability. 

How did Luminary perform from a project management standpoint?

While our team was ultimately responsible for project management, we had regular communications with Luminary at the end of every development sprint. We received summaries of the hours that were used; their hours were always within our agreed-upon block of time for sprints. They never exceeded those hours without talking to us first. From there, they’d forecast for the next sprint and bring in the resources required. As a result, we were able to efficiently use their time at an hourly rate. 

We used DevOps tools to manage the project. Moreover, our teams worked remotely — they were in Melbourne, and we were in Sydney — and had to work from home when the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown happened. Given that, we used Microsoft Teams for daily standups. We also used SharePoint and Microsoft Office 365.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We didn’t have a typical relationship with Luminary. Our group didn’t simply give them a budget to develop a CMS. Instead, we were part of the process by design, and their team became a strategic partner for us. They were willing and comfortable to give up control of the project and work with our team to achieve our goals and provide long-term sustainability to the platform. 

Overall, the Luminary team was willing to adapt to the way we wanted to work, our budget, and our timelines. On top of that, they wanted to work with charities to deliver projects that made an impact on people’s lives. As a result, we always felt that their advice was in the best interest of our goals. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any. We had growing pains, but we learned to work together to sort out those issues.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have open communication with Luminary, and make sure they know what you want. If you have concerns, talk to them. They’re open to having conversations for improvements. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Marketing manager for a superannuation fund dedicated to hard-working Australians.

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

We chose Luminary to help us understand what our customers needed from us, and then build a website and user experience platform that catered to the needs of our unique audience.

How did you select Luminary and what were the deciding factors?

We selected Luminary as part of a competitive tender process. Luminary were successful because of their glowing reviews from previous clients we spoke to, and their unique full-service offering from the discovery phase all the way through to launch and ongoing support.

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

The scope of work included a user research and discovery phase; technology shortlist and evaluation phase, a website design and build phase and content production in parrellel; a testing and launch phase; and establighing a program of ongoing support and continuous improvement.

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

The Key Account Directlor worked side-by side with the Digital Producer (Agile Project Manager) on the Luminary side, along with up to 10 designers, developers and testers and senior specialists where needed. On the client side was a Project Manager, Marketing Manager (Agile Product Owner), Digital Specialist and Content Specialist. The discovery phase also included several Design Thinking practitioners and User Experience specialists to help define the approach.

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

The project was successfully delivered on time and within budget. In addition to Luminary delivering over and above the scope of the project, they've helped us achieve a significant uplift in online engagement from our customers since launch (engagement has more than doubled in some months), and a range of positive reviews, including two nationally recognized design and user experience awards.

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

Project Management was Agile Delivery, and executed in a very inclusive way. Luminary took the time to ensure ways of working were clear and embraced on both sides, and supported us with access to collabouration tools such as Jira, Confluence, Miro, Figma and more as required.

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

I found Luminary to be very adaptive to our specific needs as a client, the unique needs of our customers, and different approaches of the individuals in our team. There was an express understanding that no two projects are the same and that each person makes a valuable contribution. There was a positive and inclusive project culture, and impressive sustained energy and enthusiasm for the project over the year or so we worked together.

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

There were moments of friction throughout the project, as I have experienced on all major projects. The difference with Luminary was, feedback was always taken positively, adjustments were made where needed, and they always saw feedback as an opportunity to improve. For example, several of our suggestions led to Luminary adopting and rolling out new aplications or procedures to their existing clients.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are Australia’s largest aid and development agency dedicated to protecting and supporting children in need. I am the senior manager of digital engagement.

What challenge were you trying to address with Luminary?

We needed help to build out a new Kentico CMS.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did all of the building and designing of our new system. We provided them with mockups and design elements we wanted to include, particularly around donation forms and other key aspects of our business. The aim was to make our site mobile-friendly and add a lot of imagery to the site. They helped with all those core items that allowed us to work with more modular content.

What is the team composition?

We had a project lead, who we worked with on a regular basis, and a general manager who stepped in for larger strategic conversations and fixes. We also interacted with the designer during the design phase.

How did you come to work with Luminary?

My boss contracted them. They are a certified Kentico developer and a preferred agency, which was a big factor in our selection process and the main reason we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started around August 2016 and the site went live in May 2018. We still have a retainer with them that gives us a budgeted number of service hours each month.

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

Our conversion rates on our donation pages have improved significantly, which was the main factor we hoped to influence. Usability is also much better than with the previous iteration.

How did Luminary perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was excellent, and they did well with a complex website and lots of requirements. Our industry is very specific about what we can and cannot say or do, and they were flexible to our needs. Their general manager was particularly good at finding solutions to some of our unique issues.

During the project itself, we communicated every day by phone or email, and we had regular weekly meetings to discuss the current status and pending tasks. Now that we’re in the service phase, we use Jira.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were helpful and willing to support our goals. The project manager was a powerful liaison to our technical team and bridged all of the project requirements. It was a critical role, and she did very well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’re really happy with their work, and the experience with them was so much better than our experiences with other agencies. I was impressed by their solutions for every problem we gave them, and I don’t have anything negative to say.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open to two-way communication and to their suggestions. We looked at our collaboration as a long-term partnership, which allowed them to offer better suggestions and a great end product.

Please describe your company and your position there.

A Business School, where I work in the role of Web and Digital Manager.

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

My predecessor engaged Luminary to transition the school's website to Sitecore. This was successfully completed in 2019, and now Luminary work with us to provide website updates and improvements in a monthly retainer agreement.

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

This is more a question for my predecessor.

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

This is more a question for my predecessor, but in terms of major website update releases, I brief the team on requirements and they will scope and estimate the work. From there, I'll prioritise features for release based on timings and budget.

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

A project manager, a back-end and front-end developer. At times a designer will be called in (we have a heavily templated site which does not require too much design work).

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

The Sitecore website has allowed the school to look at more sophisticated ways of A/B Testing and Content Personalisation.

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

We are in constant contact with Luminary via Slack, Confluence and Jira.

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

Their knowledge of Sitecore is impressive. The speed of their development in building new features or resolving issues has been appreciated.

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

Some more thought on future proofing new features would be welcomed.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Digital Customer Experience Product Owner for the Clipsal.com and PDL.co.nz websites; associated brand sites for Schneider Electric. Schneider Electric combine world-leading energy technologies, real-time automation, software and services into integrated solutions for Homes, Buildings, Data Centers, Infrastructure and Industries.

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

Luminary is an established vendor for our Clipsal/PDL platforms. They design and development custom interfaces and experiences that showcase our Clipsal and PDL electrical accessories offer. Are aim was to engage a company who could cater for our ongoing digital needs in innovative and agile ways.

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

Luminary was selected based on its strong reputation and willingness to manage the ongoing demands of our fast moving business expectations and extensive product offer.

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

Specific to the development of the Wiser Virtual Smart Home, we had a very tight turnaround to produce a bespoke innovative virtual experience. In tandem with another third party vendor, Luminary developed an interactive 3D virtual experience that showcased our new Smart Home product offer. Luminary drove, informed and delivered a strong outcome incorporating design, ux input, content management and software development.

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

The Web Producer was the project’s PM. 2 FEDS, 1 designer, 1 BED and 1 QA.

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

The launch of the Wiser Virtual Smart Home resulted in increased visibility in our promoted product offer, from multiple target audiences. In fact, our partners have expressed a keen interest in housing the Virtual Smart Home experience on their own websites.

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

Daily inhouse, plus weekly stand-ups with the extended stakeholder group. Communication via Slack facilitated quick and effective real time interactions between all players.

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

They're great with problem solving. They check and adjust quickly based on business or technical demands and restraints.

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

The project would have benefited from a more rigorous bedding down of the project requirement and QA regiment. However this was always going to be challenging given the very tight deadline and involvement of new third party dev team.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Director of DIgital & Direct Channels at the National Heart Foundation of Australia.

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

To assist in the CMS and personalisation technology selection and then complete the full re-platforming of the heart foundation website including deep integration into other parts of the marketing technology stack.

How did you select Luminary and what were the deciding factors?

Luminary presented a clear and compelling analysis of our needs against the best CMS technologies available in the market, and a strong recommendation. They then set themselves apart with a powerful cultural alignment around social impact, highly skilled and talented team and previous work with other well-known not-for-profits.

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

1. Sprint planning
2. CMS selection and implementation
3. CDP integration planning
4. Personalization framework planning
5. Front End POC
6. Back End Frameworks and development
7. Front End Development
8. Chatbot integration and customisations
9. Payments and SAAS integrations

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

At least 6 people across: - Back end developers - Integration Specialists - Front end developers - Front end designers - Project Management

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

After going we live we saw a doubling of time onsite following the use of the search (a key interface update) and a 30% increase in donations via the website. More are spending more time on the site learning and improving their understanding of heart health and accessing life-saving tools and information.

We contiune to recieve positive feedback from users regarding the role-based UI and the card/ object information layout.

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

Our teams really worked as a single project team in constant contact including daily stand-ups and sharing a single workflow project tool instance (Atlassian). For the duration of the project we really felt as though we simply had a larger team within the organization with full visibility and open and clear communication.

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

Luminary has a genuine commitment to their client's success. On a number of occassions they really pushed themselves to ensure they delivered beyond expectations or handle unforseen issues (which arise in a very complex tech environment as is the case here).

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

N/A