Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?
We’re not at the point where we have good metrics, but I can comment anecdotally. I was very impressed that we started the project in October and finished it in March. That was on the schedule that they provided at the beginning. They accurately figured out the time they needed, and they lived up to it. We came out within 10% of the original projected cost. They were very good at understanding the project’s requirements, doing an estimate around that, and then executing and getting it done.
Since we started showing the system to people, we’ve gotten very positive feedback about the look and feel of it. We demonstrated the product to people at a glucose manufacturer that develops apps in-house, and they were very complimentary of our design. It’s been a very good outcome in that respect.
How did MentorMate perform from a project management standpoint?
They accurately estimated both time and cost, which was a very good sign to me. On a daily basis, their project manager was one of the best I’ve ever worked with, and I’ve been in the software development industry for 30 years. I was very impressed with her ability to listen and to efficiently manage a mixed team of onshore and offshore developers. She knew when to say, “This is the way we’re going to do it.” I believe that’s the reason the project ran on time. I give her much of that credit.
We primarily used JIRA for communication, and the daily stand-ups were with Google Hangouts. We never had issues with language or time barriers. Even though part of the team had a six or seven-hour time difference, we were still able to get very timely responses to anything we asked. There was no verbal communication issue either. One of our partners is in Taiwan, and we were initially worried about the communication. However, the team in Bulgaria communicated directly with the team in Taiwan without our help.
What did you find most impressive about MentorMate?
It was the best software project management that I’ve ever experienced.
Are there any areas MentorMate could improve?
The jury is still out in terms of how many bugs we find in the software. As we finished up, we probably found a few more bugs than I would have liked, but they were easily worked out. I hesitate to say that because software is never perfect and you can find bugs forever. You have to weigh the cost of testing for bugs forever versus actually using the product.
The project was finished on time and on budget. The look and feel of the app has received positive feedback, and the design is very high quality. MentorMate’s project manager listens well and manages her internal team efficiently and effectively.