Macopedia

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the product owner at a multisport company. We’re a B2B business; we sell sports cards to companies to give to their employees for the gym.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Macopedia?

We needed someone to develop our new website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Macopedia is our main developer. They’ve developed our website from scratch using TYPO3. After the pandemic, we got a new online product that connects all the extra offers from the partners, and they helped us with it. They also work on the backend of the mobile app. We have the same users on the application, which is available for iOS and Android.

What is the team composition?

We have a main project manager, 2–3 frontend developers, and 3–4 backend developers.

How did you come to work with Macopedia?

I wasn’t in charge, but I know they briefed other companies. However, Macopedia offered the best holistic service and answered with the best brief and price.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2016, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been super successful, but we haven’t been great at contacting the users. Now, we have a satisfied registered users. During vacation engagment of the people with sport its getting lower. To keep the product active, we have a summer online game so they can win different prizes. All in all, we have a successful number of registered users that play this game.

How did Macopedia perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is good and supportive. They've been always patient with all the project and challenges we have. Moreover, Macopedia did a great job during the pandemic. We had to adjust our business core for current situation, and they provided us with products within 1–2 months when it usually takes double the time. For project management tools, we use Jira or Confluence.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They take their time to solve any issues — they brief themselves and find the solutions. Overall, they like supporting us and are great partners.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing they need to improve. Sometimes developers come and go, but that’s part of the market. We can’t control it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go ahead with them. We haven’t thought about changing them because we’re happy with them. They know our system and are super engaged.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the digital marketing manager for Macmillan Education.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Macopedia?

I joined the company in 2018 and one of my goals was to revamp our global website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Once we chose Macopedia to be our contractor, we started to go ahead with some workshops, analysis and rework. Following that, we got approval to revamp the whole website.

They helped us with the analytical part. Their team worked on the information architecture and assisted with designs. After we got the results from the first phase, they were to develop our website for us. They used TYPO3 CMS and worked in an agile methodology.

What is the team composition?

I am not sure exactly, but there were between 10 and 20. Initially, we were in contact with the CEO and another person. Later on, when development began, we had a product owner on their end. Now the role has moved to another person who is our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Macopedia?

In our approach to development, we wanted to work on an open-source solution. We also wanted it to be flexible to change the contractor if we didn’t like them so that a company working on the CMS would be able to take over. The other thing we were looking for was experience in the educational market. They have worked with our competitors and other companies before.

Macopedia was one of the 3–4 teams we were considering. After a follow-up meeting with all of them, we decided to go with them. I personally liked to work with an agile team and that was another key factor in choosing them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in May 2019, and the work is still ongoing.

They completed the project and we launched the website in early November last year. We are still working with them on further development for new functionalities.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website has changed our lives and it works really well. The old website was created on a very old CMS and now the backend allows us to work very quickly and efficiently. The website was nominated for a performance award at an international conference around the time of the launch.

We’re quite independent and people that work on the CMS are able to make some advanced changes without having to ask for their help, which has been good.

Just after the launch, I asked some people to review the speed and the way it works and they were very positively surprised. It’s functional and reliable, and they address issues whenever they come up. They always deliver on time and within budget.

How did Macopedia perform from a project management standpoint?

I would say it was very good and we had good communication, not only with the product owner but also with the developers involved. They were able to understand exactly what we needed. This was probably thanks to an experienced product owner on their end. We mostly used Jira.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’d suggested that we utilized progressive web app technology and we agreed to do so. Thanks to that suggestion, the website has been working really well on mobile devices.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I cannot think of anything at this point.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Brief them well, be open, and agree on the exact scope. This was what we did and it has worked really well.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the digital manager at a prominent Polish toy company - Trefl SA. Trefl is a dynamically developing family business, present on the market since 1985.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Macopedia?

We were looking for agency, who have big experience with Magento e-commerce system and can develop our new e-commerce and integrate with our internal systems (ERP) and other external technology solutions.

What were your goals for this project?

We decided to build our online store with new version Magento e-commerce with modern interface and responsive layout. We needed an excellent technical support and project experts with build a user-friendly e-commerce with big base of products.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Macopedia was selected in a long-standing tender from four agencies.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

1st step: building a project with Project Manager;

2nd step: building UX mockups, graphic layouts;

3th step: cooperation with Magento and our internel developers on the strategy of system and database integration;

4th step: building an online store based on the UX and graphic project, ongoing development

What was the team composition?

We worked with a dedicated project manager and two to three Magento developers, two front-end developres and dedicated software tester.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Higher sales with own e-commerce channel, more effective website traffic. Over 100% increase in sales conversions vs. our old online store.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Macopedia delivered within our time and budget estimates. Macopedia team accommodated to our schedule changes and maintained transparency throughout the project. We communicated by email, a Jira system and phones. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their team's communication was very friendly and effective.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The accuracy of some topics and tasks may be better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a project manager at an e-commerce company. We’re a luxury outfit that sells designer shoes and bags worldwide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Macopedia?

We were trying to deliver the best possible service to our online customers and create the best UX. We were also looking to optimize some internal business practices.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Macopedia has provided front- and backend work, as well as UX development for our Magento store. We usually send them documentation and wireframes, and we delegate tasks using tickets. We handled the design work in-house.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a dedicated project manager and four to five developers.

How did you come to work with Macopedia?

My managers selected them because of their extensive Magento experience. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent under $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Macopedia has delivered high-quality work, and I haven’t had any bad experiences with them, but I haven’t kept any statistical-related information about their work.

How did Macopedia perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re using Jira as a project management tool, and we have a business tool for tracking our business development. We also use email, phone, Google Hangouts, and in-person meetings for communication. We sometimes haven’t been able to properly estimate the time needed for a certain task, but I would give them 3.5/5 for project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're eager and motivated to achieve their goals. When they know that we’ll be facing huge traffic on the website, they’re always there. We have a good relationship with Macopedia, and I really care about it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The work has been quite challenging from the beginning, and their Magento developers have been improving their skills during the project. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Macopedia is an ideal partner for startup companies. They’re quite experienced and the solutions they provide are good. I wouldn’t recommend them for larger, established businesses though, since they're too small and they don’t have enough experience. It’s important to get into details with them, and to acknowledge more about the project and results that you want to achieve. Macopedia is communicative, but it’s very important to maintain a good relationship and lead the project from your side.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of an online Swiss interior design shop called Designique.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Macopedia?

Our previous IT partner didn’t meet our project needs. We wanted a partner that could maintain our Magento-based online shop as well as implement its relaunch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, they stabilized our site by introducing a Git repository to better track site versions and test deployments. They updated the site to the latest Magento version, making some CSS adjustments to the shop.

In addition to redesigning the UX/UI, they built some non-standard features on the Magento platform, including inventory management and improved navigation. Customers could apply various filters, which made it easier to see what items were in stock. They also improved the shop’s search functions.

What is the team composition?

We interacted with two project managers at different points in the collaboration. We also worked with the lead Magento developer.

How did you come to work with Macopedia?

We found them online after noticing that Macopedia actively participated in the Polish Magento community.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost around $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from May 2015–March 2016. Currently, they provide feature maintenance and upgrades.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although we don’t track the site’s stability, we attribute the 10%–20% increase in sales conversions to their improved UI designs and functionalities. Macopedia developed a far superior code compared to our previous vendor. We’re satisfied with their coding skills.

How did Macopedia perform from a project management standpoint?

They delivered within our time and budget estimates. They also accommodated to our schedule changes and maintained transparency throughout the engagement. We communicated primarily by email and a ticketing system. Despite our geographical distance, they were responsive, and we didn’t have any issues with time differences.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They go the extra mile to handle difficult tasks. They resolved tickets that couldn’t be solved through existing marketing extension strategies. They remained open-minded and produced easy and efficient ways to approach project tasks.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Because they have a smaller team and serve multiple clients, it may benefit them to hire more resources to handle time-sensitive tasks. Regardless, we’ve been pleased with them overall.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

We knew what we wanted to implement and were specific in our proposition. Likewise, clients need to provide Macopedia clear instructions and examples while also keeping the final outcome in mind. Smooth communication also facilitates a strong collaboration.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the online marketing manager for Pearson Education in Central and Eastern Europe. I work on digital projects, website and application development, and online marketing for English language teaching materials.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Macopedia?

We needed to update our website and out-of-date software server after our company went through a rebranding phase.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Macopedia helped us recreate some of the functionalities of our old site and integrate our website with outside systems. Specifically, they built our website so that our users can register for online and in-person events, take part in online trainings, and order access to our other applications and services. This involved developing specialized order forms and building authentication capabilities.

What is the team composition?

At the beginning of the project I worked directly with the technology director, but eventual began working primarily with a scrum master. The scrum master managed around four front- and backend developers, but after the minimum viable product (MVP) phase, we lowered the number to three. 

How did you come to work with Macopedia?

I created a project brief and received a number of applications. Macopedia was one of the top companies that applied, and we eventual hired them because of their use of agile methodology and professional approach to the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them on analysis in March 2017 and reached the MVP level of the project in August 2017. We continued development and eventually launched the website in December 2017, and are continuing to use Macopedia for ongoing support. We are actually beginning development with them on some other websites as well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were very professional in the way they processed agile methodology on the project. They were able to break the project into pieces and evaluate how many working hours were going into each piece so that we had control of the cost. They also helped us by suggesting a few functionalities we had not thought of. It was a pleasure to work with them.

How did Macopedia perform from a project management standpoint?

The technology director and scrum master were both great to work with. We used Jira to run scrum sprints, and had constant control during each phase of the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are led by a very impressive technology directory, and have a team of experienced developers who are very focused and knowledgeable. I was also impressed by their use of agile methodology and focus during scrum sprints.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only challenge we had took place during the design phase when they worked with an outsourced partner. We were still able to get this part of the project done, but the job of Macopedia’s partner could be improved upon.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It is important for potential clients to have an understanding of agile methodology and the scrum method. This will make cooperation simpler and probably improve the work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of TYPO3, which is a service company behind an open-source project called TYPO3 CMS. We provide services around the open-source software, as well as supporting the core development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Macopedia?

Within our CMS, we have a tree that shows the hierarchy of your website or content. The old tree implementation was outdated. We needed something to work with huge amounts of pages because we have sites that have 750,000 pages of content. We needed to somehow bring those up in the tree. There’s no solution that supports that and needed that custom built.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped with our open-source development. The languages are PHP, JavaScript, and working with databases. They also participate in the marketing activities, helping us with the content strategy. Somebody comes up with a topic that needed to be written about and they helpe create the content briefs for the copywriter. They also assist with competitor’s analysis.

The development work is paid for now, but whenever we need something done, I know who to call. We’ll most likely outsource to them over anyone else in the future, where possible.

What is the team composition?

We only work with the developers. We have developers in-house that can talk to the other developers.

How did you come to work with Macopedia?

They were already participating in the open-source project and were creating high-quality code. At a certain point, we asked them whether they could do more for us. They had the necessary skill set, which included a good attention to detail. They think beyond the project—they consider how things will work five years from now, which is extremely helpful as a development shop. Their pricing was also extremely affordable comparative to western European standards.

How much have you invested with them?

20,000–30,000 euros [$24,600–$36,900 USD].

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re an extremely valuable asset and people are happy with the software they built. We now have proper technical implementation and everybody who is using the component is satisfied. The project is definitely a success. The feedback was that they worked on time, on budget, within the specified quality limits. Someone else said that if anything goes south, we’ll call Macopedia and they’ll be able to fix it.

How did Macopedia perform from a project management standpoint?

We didn’t need project management from their side. I’ve been told they do a good job in project management. We use Slack and a code ticketing system to manage the work. Whenever some feedback came in, it would take them four hours to answer it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They deliver on time and exceptional quality. They offer a lot of attention to detail and scalability.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could work on their confidence. They’re extremely humble about what they do. They don’t brag about it, but they definitely could!

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The language barrier is smaller than you might think. All the marketing work they’re doing for us is entirely in English and we don’t need to proofread that much.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Raben Group is a logistics company operating in 12 Central and Eastern European countries. Users typically visit our website to check important transportation-related information. I am the digital marketing manager responsible for all online advertising, social media, and website development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Macopedia?

We decided to redevelop our website a couple of years ago. It had an outdated design, and the administration panels didn’t allow us to easily edit content. We also lacked the ability to use templates or customize the look of the site in any way. At the time, we were operating in 10 countries with a different web domain for each one. We had a large web presence, so the administration panel needed to give us wide customization options.

We were looking for a company that could support us with the development of a new site. They needed to deal with the requirements of different countries and have very good technical abilities.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Macopedia introduced us to the TYPO3 open source CMS, which gives a lot of flexibility with content. After we chose the platform, they started to work on the design. Our website has 3,500 pages and is available in 12 countries, so it’s a large environment. Most of the collaboration was dedicated to the design. It’s an area we are constantly working on.

Their team also helped us enter content on the site and held training workshops.

We are planning a new design change on the site and will use their team again.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with their account manager and another team member since the beginning.

How did you come to work with Macopedia?

We researched several companies online, looking for one that had enough capacity to work with a demanding website like ours. Macopedia had international experience and proposed a good solution for us.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost was $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Macopedia from September 2014–June 2015. We have an ongoing collaboration for support and we continue to develop the website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We heard positive feedback from administrators and marketing people about the user experience and design of the site. They’ve told us that the administration panel is easy-to-use and intuitive. We find this to be very important feedback on Macopedia’s work, given that it’s coming from the people using the site on a constant basis.

How did Macopedia perform from a project management standpoint?

Macopedia performed well, quickly implementing our CMS and integrating the design. We used agile methodology and divided the project into milestones. We are based in the same area in Poland, so it was easy to have face-to-face Scrum meetings. During those, we exchanged feedback about the completed work and planned the next steps. We also communicated by email. The process worked quite well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We requested several changes and had a long approval process, which extended the project by several months, but Macopedia was flexible and committed to our work. They took initiative and didn’t require me to push them at any time. This also motivated me to find better solutions. Their proactive nature made our collaboration very good.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

They are a professional company. Any customer who is serious about their project will find Macopedia to be a good partner.