LUX interactive

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a hospitality company that has nearly 700 locations. I am the VP of a Project and coordinate projects and teams for the technology department.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to overhaul the entire site and launch an additional brand.

SOLUTION

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

Our contract was up with our previous provider. We were looking for a fresh approach with a partner, not a vendor for our website development. LUX was a great fit for our organization. Their previous work demonstrated their skill and expertise and their professionalism, positive attitude, staff alignment and dedication made them the right fit for us.

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

LUX is our ongoing partner, and are integrated into our team for ongoing support and maintenance, updates and improvements to our sites. RWS, Bynder and so much more.

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

A PM, senior leadership oversight and several developers that on and off-board depending on the scope of the current project. Ongoing we have a team of five that are aligned consistently to our account.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After redesign and launch of the site we saw improved site visits and much better control of the digital assets and content. The team continues to recommend and work with our team for ongoing improvements and recommendations.

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

We have weekly stand ups, both technical and with the internal business associates. We have a dedicated sprint and development cycle and work closely with the teams via Atlassian Jira and Microsoft Teams.

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

The team is a full-service, first-in-class partner. They are flexible with delivery and options and will work within the framework of the organization they support. They have been excellent trainers and work very well with other consultants and partners that we have brought on for different products. They provide ongoing support as well as development work.

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

They are great. The only recommendation I could suggest is that when we, as the business, have made decisions to get to market with 'temporary' implementations (where we know we are accruing technical dept), it would be helpful for LUX to bring these back to the forefront for cleanup work during lean sprint cycles.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CIO of a nonprofit membership organization for CPAs in Michigan.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LUX interactive?

We needed help with web and mobile app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LUX interactive designed and developed our website. The team conducted their own research and interviewed us to get a feel of what we were looking to do. They also helped us find a suitable CMS and built the site from scratch. The team also provided some marketing work when we first launched.

We’ve since tasked them to update our website many times. With each refresh, they put a team together based on our needs. The team then helps us flesh out how it should function and interact with our central membership database. Afterward, they come back to us with various designs and technology solutions for us to choose from. Once we’re all on the same page, they then proceed to build and deliver the site. 

Aside from the site, the team has also helped us hold online events by creating check-in kiosks for our members. LUX interactive has also built a custom app for us. It’s called a CPE Tracker, and it allows users to upload their information, which is then sent directly to the state of Michigan. The app is on the latest version of our site, and it has a mobile version as well. They continue to maintain it because of a grant that requires them to work on it for 40 hours every year and report to the state of Michigan every two years.

What is the team composition?

Right now, I communicate regularly with two of the three owners, but I also know the other one. Whenever we have a project, the project manager walks us through each step and is in touch with us the whole way through. We also work with several developers regularly. Additionally, a few teammates have helped us hold online events. We’ve talked to pretty much everyone who’s worked on our projects.

How did you come to work with LUX interactive?

One of the owners used to be my boss before he formed LUX interactive. The other owner was one of my employees. They left on good terms and were great at what they did, so we felt we could trust them to fulfill our needs. Furthermore, they were a local company.

How much have you invested with them?

The project has cost $2 million so far. As for the mobile app, it’s paid for by a grant from the state of Michigan. Just the grants themselves have been worth over $1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in April 2003, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Before the latest site update, we only had 30% of our member CPAs using our site and tracker. Now, over 95% of our members are making use of it.

How did LUX interactive perform from a project management standpoint?

They meet every deadline. We usually set a budget before each project, and the team has done an excellent job of sticking to them. The only times the budget has moved is because our members sometimes cause some scope creep, but the LUX interactive team has been great about that. There’s never been an instance where we got billed for something we don’t know about.

Furthermore, they’re a team of excellent communicators. We have a direct line of communication with them through a Slack channel that we share with their organization. Thus, we can stay in touch at any time. The team also uses Microsoft Azure to track bugs and so on. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

LUX interactive has taken the time to understand our business and what we’re trying to accomplish, allowing them to develop deliverables that meet our needs the first time. The team doesn’t just build what we ask for, but they also consider the best solution for our needs. They guide us throughout each process and deliver as promised. In fact, they have a perfect track record when it comes to fulfilling our needs.

For years, we’ve seen their company grow, and they’ve become a valuable resource that can support our projects. We also have a great relationship with the partners.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing they could do better — they’re a fantastic team. I rely on LUX interactive for just about everything. If any issue or project comes up, I can count on them to get it done.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t just tell them what you need, but work with them to build what you need. They’re a team of experts who will work with you to find the best solution based on your issues. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the web systems manager for CE Marketplace, a division of the Michigan Realtors Association. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LUX interactive?

We needed help tracking the continuing education (CE) credits for real estate licensees in Michigan. Previously, the state of Michigan tracked these credits, but they transferred that responsibility to CE Marketplace. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LUX helped us create a system that tracks the CE requirements for Michigan real estate licensees based on the guidelines set by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. They managed the state licensee data and created a website that allowed users to view their CE credits. The site is an external portal used by both licensees and CE providers.

We have been implementing the system for five years. However, the state has made many changes to the CE requirements, so we always have to keep up our side of the system with all the amendments in licensing procedures.

In building our site, they used ASP.NET for the most part, as well as other technologies for themes. A lot of the functionalities on our portal are customized whenever the state makes changes in the licensing requirements.

What is the team composition?

We’ve always had a dedicated team of 3–5 people, but the resources changed over the years. There was someone constantly helping us with the website, conducting hosting, design, development, programming, and general maintenance. 

How did you come to work with LUX interactive?

LUX was brought on to the project slightly before I came on board our company. However, I know one of the reasons they were hired was their familiarity with helping organizations like us that track CE credits for licensees in Michigan. 

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested around $500,000–$1,000,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The relationship started in June 2014, and we launched the website at the end of that year. Since then, the partnership has been ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Because of LUX, we are able to track over 60,000 active users and their required multiple class completions and CE credit histories. We are also able to keep up with the ever-changing requirements of the state of Michigan. The project has been a great success so far.  

How did LUX interactive perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication with LUX has been great because they're very responsive, whether it’s a little data issue or a large-scale update. Any time we have questions or we run into an issue, they get back to us in a very timely manner. Additionally, they’re always looking for the most cost-effective way to accomplish something.

What did you find most impressive about them?

LUX does outstanding work, and they’re also a pleasure to work with. Their team is always very helpful and friendly, whether they’re talking to me or my other teammates. They're always able to perceive what we need on our end.

Because of the nature of the project, there have been so many different licensing changes and we're trying to keep up. In terms of LUX’s response, I think they do most things well, especially with the nature of the beast we’re dealing with here. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Understand the different processes and procedures that you want LUX to implement into your system. It required a lot of legwork from us to prepare system requirements to be able to track CE credits on behalf of the state of Michigan. You should come in prepared to fill in LUX, and they will be very great at understanding that information and translating it into a web app that covers your needs.