Midwestern Interactive

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Software Development of The Yay Company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Yay Company is a modern school dining solution, creating custom programs to help schools + families thrive

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Midwestern Interactive to accomplish?

• Continue building out features for our e-commerce web application
• Refine our codebase and evolve our Laravel knowledge

SOLUTION

How did you find Midwestern Interactive?

Online Search

Why did you select Midwestern Interactive over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• Laravel Experience

How many teammates from Midwestern Interactive were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Small and large feature development: 

• Help refine scope and programming of large features. 
• Some features are customer facing, for better UX or enhanced functionality. 
• Other features are administrative features that are highly complex, saving our staff considerable time establishing and managing menus, orders, and delivery routes. 

Bug FIx/Maintenance: 

• Quick response for bugs discovered in production. 

QA:

• Provides some quality assurance to supplement our internal team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Efficiency of adjusting orders based on food vendor changes. Software and database performance with increased ability to scale. Greatly increased automated test coverage. Enhanced ability to quickly meet our stakeholder's needs.

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

They offer fully embedded teams, such as PM, QA, Dev, but our needs are focused mostly on software development. We have twice weekly standing/virtual meetings, however we work very closely together and can be in touch multiple times per day as needed. The team is extremely responsive to our needs, very easy to work with, and has the skills and drive to help our business succeed.

What was your primary form of communication with Midwestern Interactive?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The culture fit with our company was perfect. They are motivated and knowledgeable, yet laid back enough to enjoy working with. I highly respect that they don't act like contractors, but more like owners in our company. 

They aren't order takers without question; they are creators who want to understand the issues for which they are solving. When having project conversations, they understand the nuances of our business, they sound invested in our mission, and willing to do what it takes to help us succeed.

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

Very minimal issues with billing clarity, but quickly resolved and they changed the content to better suit our needs.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Court Administrator for the Circuit Court of Jasper County, Missouri. Missouri circuit courts are courts of original civil and criminal jurisdiction.

The Twenty-Ninth Judicial Circuit is a single county circuit whose jurisdiction is Jasper County, Missouri. The Circuit Court of Jasper County is comprised of six divisions and family court.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

The courts had an antiquated and outdated website. We needed a web design which was intuitive and easy for the public to use. We needed a website which provided information to the public regarding the function of the courts.

We also needed the website to link the public to important websites for doing court business including forms, court schedules, as well as providing information regarding the referral process to a variety of court programs.

SOLUTION

How did you select Midwestern Interactive and what were the deciding factors?

The Courts had worked with Midwestern Interactive in the past and were pleased with their service.

On this project we selected them based upon their past performance, but also because they provided us with a comprehensive proposal outlining the cost estimate and scope of work

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

During the kick off meeting we discussed our goals, objectives and deliverables. A framework for the project was developed and reviewed by the owner and team members.

We provided the information we needed to be on the website, and their team designed the website. As we progressed through the project, we had meetings and modified content and design.

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

Since my meetings involved high level decision-making, my main point of contact was with the Project Manager, Kahile Huff and Social Media and Content Manager, Veronica Gazaway.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our Judges, management, and line staff love the site. It is too early to tell if there has been an increase in website traffic.

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

Most of our interaction was via email. We had a total of 4 in person meetings to go over the progress of the site and to provide training. The project manager quickly responded to requests and found solutions to issues.

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

They got to work quickly on the project. They quickly responded to inquiries and questions. They were easy to work with, and the final product exceeded expectations.

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

There were a few minor issues such as typos, but they were fixed once identified.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of a manufacturing company. We do packaging for fasteners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Midwestern Interactive?

Our website was outdated and we didn’t have any social media presence. Originally, I just wanted to update the website, but upon looking at it, I saw that it was so old that we needed to start from scratch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built us a new website from scratch. We provided them with background on how we wanted to portray our company, but they created the entire design. They selected photos, did website copy, and more. 

They’re currently helping us with blogging and social media management. We didn’t have any social media accounts, so they set them up for us. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with a team of five or six people. 

How did you come to work with Midwestern Interactive?

The company that does our email and data security referred us to them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $10,000–$15,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July or August 2016, and our work is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’ve gotten positive feedback from customers. Our website made them feel confident in our business. Our presence on LinkedIn and Facebook are also helping us establish strong credibility in the industry. 

How did Midwestern Interactive perform from a project management standpoint?

They really listen. Our industry isn’t easy to understand, but they learned about what we did and how we operated very quickly. 

They’re very proactive in helping us and are consistently reaching out to make sure that we’re happy with how things are going. I never feel like they’ve forgotten about us. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed with their creative writing abilities. They capture our company and what we want to say in a clear and concise way. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’ve been pleased with them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

Know what you want, but trust that they know how to get you there.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company manufactures specialty products used in the agricultural crop protection industry. We are a small company that competes with very large corporate life science companies. I am the President of our company and manage new product development and innovation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Midwestern Interactive?

We identified what we believe to be an unmet information and digital resource space within our industry market segment and decided to invest in the development of a cloud-based system to fill that gap. The objective of this project has been to bring new levels of value and performance to the targeted space by empowering the industry with powerful new web-based operational management and workflow tools for a very specialized market segment.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Midwestern has helped us develop the system from the ground up and prepare to deliver a product that can withstand the critique and examination of our industry filled with very large corporate competitors. We came to Midwestern with the concept and the desired outcome, and they started building the system from scratch. It’s been a learning experience for both of us, but our relationship, productivity, and efficiency have continued to improve throughout the project.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked closely with the President of Midwestern on planning bigger views of the project as well as working closely with him on some of the very complex calculations and algorithms programmed into the system. Additionally, I have worked with many of the Midwestern developers on UI design and developing basic functionalities.

How did you come to work with Midwestern Interactive?

We were in search of a technology partner for this project three years before connecting with Midwestern. Midwestern cold-called us as a registered exhibitor at an agricultural industry meeting they had decided to prospect for new clients.  Midwestern was the first company we could communicate with effectively; they speak English very clearly which had been a significant barrier in visiting with other partner prospects. Because we could communicate, and Midwestern invested the effort to learn about our project needs and help us learn about their capabilities, we were able to get started and progress quickly.

What is the status of this engagement?

Midwestern contacted me in October 2016, we signed a contract within 45 days, and now 24 months later we are preparing to “go live” with a limited trial commercial launch of the system beginning January 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We identified the need for this solution in our market, but we couldn’t have built it without Midwestern. That credit goes to them. The project is still a work-in-progress, so I’ll be able to provide better detail of the results once we complete the trial use period.

Meanwhile, as the person at our company responsible for prospecting new business and innovation developments, working with Midwestern has opened my eyes to many new project possibilities for which I anticipate a long-term relationship with them to accomplish.

How did Midwestern perform from a project management standpoint?

12 months into the project, we were frustrated and disappointed with our progress. Then because of reassessing the project together, Midwestern implemented the use of a collaboration tool which allowed us to communicate and collaborate much better, working in a broader collaborative project environment. I’m quite satisfied with our new workflow and procedures for which Midwestern adapted and we worked to improve and understand Midwestern challenges also. Even though we’re not their only client, they responded to our needs and adjusted their business to better serve our project and company style and unique project challenges.

What did you find most impressive about them?

First, I appreciate the character of the company’s leader and willingness to work through challenges together. Next, I am impressed with the changes and efforts to improve and adjust their approach when needed to keep our project progressing.

Are there any areas they could improve?

During the first year of the project I would have said workflow and communication with the client needed improvement, now during the second year Midwestern did make those improvements and they helped me learn how to improve my approach as a client as well. The biggest area for improvement now is one that involves both Midwestern and the client to better refine the planning and scheduling of work. It’s hard to schedule and synchronize bursts of work as a project progresses and I think this is an area that could be improved by Midwestern and us as a client working more closely to develop a better set of work and project activity expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the president and owner of Marmic Fire Protection. We inspect and maintain fire protection (e.g., fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems, and fire alarms) for businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Midwestern Interactive?

We needed someone to integrate invoicing in our inspection forms within our mobile application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Midwestern Interactive worked with our ERP accounting program so that we can take work orders, manipulate them, and send them back via our mobile app. The mobile app is primarily for Android. They created functionality so that our employees out in the field can add inventory items as needed, and it automatically updates the invoice. They also gave us the ability to change from an estimate to actual hours worked.

What is the team composition?

We had an assigned project manager. We also worked directly with the owners.

How did you come to work with Midwestern Interactive?

They’re a local firm that we knew from around town. We'd previously used them to build our website. They seemed to know what they're doing, and were responsive in coming up with a solution.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $120,000–$199,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

They did the initial work on this project in 2014. Last year we decided to make major improvements on it in order to distribute it to the rest of our workforce and technicians. That work took place from December 2017–September 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're still just starting to push the app out to the rest of our workforce. However, we believe that it's going to save us time and money. It will make us more efficient once it's fully implemented. While we're finished with development at this point, we’re open to working with them to make more improvements to the product in the future.

How did Midwestern Interactive perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very responsive, and always looking for solutions to whatever issues or challenges we face. The scope of the project was very fluid because we frequently changed our mind about what we wanted. They did a great job of adjusting to our requests for tweaks and changes.

They used Basecamp to manage the project. We also had a set weekly meeting for the first couple of months. Then we went to every two weeks as the project was winding down. The meetings would always include the project manager and sometimes the owners, so it was nice to have their involvement.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Midwestern Interactive stands out from other firms in that they try to fix any issue as quickly as possible. Communication is quite good. I could call them on their cell phone at any time if needed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wish development could’ve been a bit faster. That’s not totally fair because we kept changing the scope and deadline, so the fault isn’t on them. I'm not unsatisfied. It's probably the nature of the project.

Any advice for potential customers?

Keep the lines of communication open. Make sure that your team isn’t giving conflicting suggestions or requests for changes. Have a lead on our end who makes the decision for what they should work on. Don’t bombard them with too much input. They did a good job of handling our incoming requests, and would call me to confirm what I wanted them to do.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Lead Product Designer of AutoNation Mobility

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Largest Automotive retailer in the nation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Midwestern Interactive to accomplish?

• UX Research
• UX Design

SOLUTION

How did you find Midwestern Interactive?

Referral

Why did you select Midwestern Interactive over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Midwestern Interactive were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We hired MidWestern to provide staff augmentation for UX Design (2 people) and a UX Researcher:

• Designers: Delivered 0-1 designs for the shopping experience as well as the checkout experience 
• Researcher: Ongoing research based on the roadmap as well as user testing for iterative experiences.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Launching the product. 
• The number of people that purchased. 
• The overall sentiment of the site.

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

They were always on time and delivered at or above expectations.

What was your primary form of communication with Midwestern Interactive?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They cared about the work that they were doing, often providing insights/views that aligned with user/company needs.

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

Not that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

GNPI is a Christian non-profit involved in global media production and I serve as the president.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Midwestern Interactive?

Organization website redesign.

What were your goals for this project?

Totally overhaul the look and function of the website.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We did extensive research, asked other marketers, asked other MWI clients and took quotes.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They researched GNPI as an organization and developed an entire front to back solution for our website.

What was the team composition?

MWI had two to three staff join with our communication team of three to get the necessary input and content and then other MWI staff developed the website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have had many great comments about the operation of our website from our staff and clients. Many positive comments on the look and appeal of the website as well have come in unsolicited from donors.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was effective. Personal visits along with Basecamp interactions offered agility to the design and roll-out.

What did you find most impressive about this company?re

MWI because passionate about our deliverables as an organization. Their passion was evident in their willingness to deliver over and above expectations.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There were few places they could have improved.