Monterail

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m CEO of a startup that’s making a technology platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Monterail?

Our team didn’t have the technical competencies to build a minimum viable product (MVP) on a limited budget. Speed to market was also essential; we wanted to introduce the product in short order. We needed temporary offsite talent while we looked for in-house software development resources.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our multi-tenant web platform needed to be mobile-compatible. Collaborative coding ensured that the design supported sophisticated algorithms; they weren’t the only ones writing code. We also requested a backend built on Ruby on Rails and a React.js frontend, so that we’d be using a technical stack that would be relevant in the market while we looked for talent.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, one frontend engineer, and one backend engineer. A designer worked in the early stages on an ad hoc basis.

How did you come to work with Monterail?

We found them on Clutch. We liked that the company and their engineers were quite active in the development scene, were contributing to open-source projects, and had visible work samples. It was easy to get a feel for what they’d actually manifested in the market before. Plus, the price point was competitive with everyone else in their sphere.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Work started in May 2017. We transitioned completely to in-house engineering in mid-January 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They met the launch deadline and delivered a mostly functional MVP.

How did Monterail perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was one of their strongest suits. While we spoke with the project manager daily, beyond that, they were extremely communicative and responsive. They reacted quickly when problems arose, always acting appropriately. Using Jira to track progress and Slack for quick communication helped immensely.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The senior leadership’s responsiveness was phenomenal. The CEO reached out when we experienced some issues, asking what they could do differently. Subsequently, the team made adjustments in short order. As one of their smaller accounts, we appreciated that effort.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’re on the East Coast and they’re in Poland. We anticipated logistical challenges, but still had problems despite their accessibility on communications platforms. This issue was the biggest only because their quality of work, organization, and tools are already strong. They should align working hours to their clients’ schedules. However, such a change might disrupt the employees’ work/life balance, potentially making them less competitive as an employer in a highly competitive field.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They produce better products with clear and standardized requirements from the client. Thorough instructions will help bridge the language gap.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a web software company developing a resource management tool for small and medium businesses, allowing them to establish resource allocation for customer projects, look at the utilization and profitability of their teams, and understand who is available for new jobs. The company was started in 2014.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Monterail?

We are a small web shop, and we were looking for additional technical skills in order to increase the development team. The labor costs are particularly high in Switzerland, but we needed a good partner for developing our solution within good quality standards.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted a partner for the frontend development, as well as some components of the back-office elements. Our solution was built with Ruby on Rails and AngularJS. These skills are particularly difficult to find in Switzerland.

Our CTO managed most of the project. From what I remember, Monterail assigned one team leader who oversaw the progress of our work, as well as two or three technical people in charge of the day-to-day work. We also had a part-time project manager from Monterail.

How did you come to work with Monterail?

What really impressed us was the ease of doing business with Monterail. I was able to get in touch with their founders quickly, and found that they were truly interested in the project. This was not just another job for Monterail—they really wanted to understand what we were trying to achieve, and what our company’s vision was. From that point, it was easy to do business with Monterail. We had a lot of confidence in them, and our CTO was able to ask a number of qualifier questions. We gave Monterail a try, and expanded their involvement after the initial success.

How much have you invested with Monterail?

The cost of Monterail’s services was around $15,000 per month, for a five-month duration.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Monterail in January 2015. The project ended in May 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The only reason for not continuing the work with Monterail after our five-month project was that we had a change of strategy. We were a part of a bigger company which has been acquired, so we’ve had to stop Monterail’s services.

How did Monterail perform from a project management standpoint?

Monterail’s approach was to our satisfaction. We were able to leverage web-conferencing tools as well as GitHub and collaboration software in order to collaborate efficiently, despite Monterail’s remote location. We had virtual standup meetings every morning.

Monterail didn’t put an emphasis on charging us for every additional hour spent on the work, and they were always willing to go the extra mile. We appreciated this, since they were really willing to dedicate themselves to the work without necessarily looking at the cost. Monterail ensured that what was delivered was up to our quality standards.

What did you find most impressive about Monterail?

Monterail was always willing to go the extra mile. They were growing as a company, and were keen to put their new junior staff on our project, but we weren’t charged for them. That was a part of Monterail’s investment to ramp up those resources and onboard them. We would have expected to be charged even for those, but Monterail was very accommodating in this sense.

Are there any areas Monterail could improve?

It would have been nice to get reports on where we stood in terms of progress.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We build low-level software (or middleware) and high-performance hardware for networking.

What is your position?

I am the director of software development for the company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Monterail?

My company wanted to build a product with a web-user interface. We wanted to implement best practices, but our resources are more focused on the low-level stack. We needed expertise for building that piece, without hiring in-house people. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

We wanted to build a new web UI application which was different from the typical SaaS [software as a service] model employed by other companies. We still wanted to deliver a traditional application server from a computer and provide a good UI experience. Monterail has its own design team which specializes on that side of things, so before any code was implemented, they put together scenarios, stories, user-mapping, and mockups in order to tease out the overarching business value and the workflows which we needed to solve to come up with what we intended to do. In comparison to other consultancy models, by which we would simply dive into the implementation, Monterail wanted to create some preliminary designs and storyboards together, before they committed to any code. This gave us an upfront view of what we were getting.

Monterail put together a team, advised us on our initial plan, and added resources to speed the process up as we got to the crunch. Monterail assigned a project manager for work coordination, a technical lead, and a number of backend, frontend, and UX design engineers for our initial 6-month run of the project. Our initial project lead left the company but was replaced quickly.

After the initial UX design phase, we determined that the scope was more complicated than anticipated. For the last cycle during 2016, we ramped-up the team in order to deliver a much more complex UI. For our current cycle, the size of Monterail's team reached its peak capacity, numbering around 9 members. We're looking to undertake some side projects which wouldn't impact the core development, but which could deliver separate bits of value.

How did you come to work with Monterail?

It was suggested that we evaluate some nearshore options from Eastern Europe, where there is a slightly lower cost-base and a good talent pool. We put together a rough scope and evaluated a number of consultancies. There are a number of companies in Poland specializing in web UI Ruby development, and we narrowed the search to 4–5 companies there out of a list of 10, whittling them down based on near-term availability and on-site discussions. We wanted to see if there was a fit and whether they could do the job.

We put together a detailed brief, based on which Monterail had a conversation with us, trying to determine what we were aiming to solve. Those initial meetings gave us a sense that there was a real capability on Monterail's part for grasping the challenge, even though they weren't necessarily domain experts in it. They were able to get up to speed effectively and to start asking questions while also providing their own input into what we could try. We want to work with people who, instead of agreeing with us, will provide insight into how something should be done.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The cost of Monterail's work has been around $1,000,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Monterail in October 2014. We will always want more after achieving an initial application. The product is still in its infancy, but we've gotten quite a lot of feedback from the field, which we've used for reworks and additional feature development. The product has turned into a feature-rich, complex application from multiple points of view. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I don't have any specific metrics for the software. In terms of speed of development, I will always want the work to get done faster, if possible, but I don't have a comparison that could give me a better idea of Monterail's performance. We've made some audits of their code implementation since we are quite invested in using Monterail on an ongoing basis. The people who've looked at their work have confirmed that Monterail is using best practices.

The overall product development is being driven by us, so delivering the wrong UI would be our fault. In terms of working based on our high-level mockups and designs, Monterail has executed in conformance to best practices.

What distinguishes Monterail from other providers?

Monterail continued to dig in, ask questions, and do what a good consultancy is supposed to do—namely, dig deep into the customer's needs. As a consequence of this, we're getting a better product.

Is there anything Monterail could have improved or done differently?

One of the challenges of software development is testing. As a company, it's our reputation, products, and brand on the line, so we have to ensure a high standard. It would be nice to see Monterail develop more capabilities in that area, instead of employing the standard approach in web development of probing features and removing the ones which don't work. Enterprise applications have less of a chance of reverting changes and need a much higher test bar. Monterail does have continuous integration and automated testing in place, but they’re not enough for the quality we need. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a social network that owns several subsidiaries. One of them is a group which provides a membership that allows people to get special access to the best clubs around the world. I no longer work with this company, but I was the chief product and marketing officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Monterail?

We needed to build a new website for club subsidiary.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

It was a Ruby on Rails development effort. There were maps and modules integrated into the site, but there were no other third-party integrations. The website explains the services and allows users to find clubs that are in the network. Members can also see what events are there and book them. There are different levels of profiles, including free and paid [with varying privileges].

How did you come to work with Monterail?

We had an RFP [request for proposal] that we sent to a dozen partners that we knew. Those included personal contacts, companies that had been recommended to us, and companies we had found doing Internet research. We sent all the requirements and designs to the companies and asked them what their approach would be, their price, and their turnaround time. Monterail responded quickly to our first contact and showed interest. We shared the requirements with them and we were impressed with the very detailed proposal they sent back. They had different options described and estimated in their proposal.

How much have you invested with Monterail?

We spent approximately €100,000 [approximately US$106,000] on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in 2015 and the work was completed in 2016. We continued to work with them on additional features after the product was delivered.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Users stayed longer on the new site and looked at more pages. We also received positive feedback from them. There was one issue with the SEO component and we lost some traffic because we didn’t properly migrate a few aspects. That was something that was our fault and not Monterail’s.

How did Monterail perform from a project management standpoint?

As usual in IT, things take longer than expected, but they managed the project extremely well. There were no surprises. Whenever they ran into something that took longer or wasn’t going to work, they communicated with us and we decided together how to proceed. They were extremely open to suggestions. We had a project manager who took care of the coordination, but I always worked directly with the developers when it came to discussing details of an implementation.

What did you find most impressive about Monterail?

Compared to projects we have worked on with other firms, they were extremely well-organized and communicated really well. Most importantly, they were honest and open about project status. Other firms would tell us the project would be done the next week and that would go on for months.

Are there any areas Monterail could improve?

One of the issues we had was they don’t do "body leasing" where they give you specific team members. They tell you how many developers you get for backend and frontend. We had some issues with resources that were transitioning in and out, but they treated us very fairly. During those transitions, they only charged us for one person and they made sure the new person was updated before the transition. Of course, we would have preferred to keep the same person throughout the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an Agile coach and do a lot of consulting work. On the side, I’m developing software for my own purposes in the publishing space including content management systems and a cloud-based editor for e-books. I’m an independent consultant.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Monterail?

I wanted to create a typewriter in the cloud for e-books because I had a lot of blog posts I wanted to compile into an e-book. I found out it’s complicated to turn a blog post into an e-book. I was looking for someone to create an app that could do that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I provided the concept and the mockups, and they built the application. I completely entrusted them with creating the tech stack. I was familiar with Ruby on Rails through other projects, but they came up with the idea to have a JavaScript application because I wanted to have some features that would require some drag and drop functionality. I was looking to them to provide the best tech stack and I told them to go ahead and build the app in JavaScript. It was built on BackboneJS and Ruby on Rails.

How did you come to work with Monterail?

They were a reference from a friend. I was talking to three or four agencies, but Monterail made the best impression on me.

How much have you invested with Monterail?

I spent between €30,000 and €35,000 [US$32,000 and $37,000] on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in December 2011 and the project was completed in December 2012.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We invited several people to test the MVP [minimum viable product]. We wanted to test the market to see if they would be willing to accept a cloud-based solution instead of homegrown content management systems. We created a WordPress plug-in for the application. You could pick the blog posts you wanted to convert to an e-book. A lot of people liked that because it was a way to monetize their blog.

As far as the publishing side, they couldn’t warm up to the idea of putting their valuable data in the cloud. We underestimated how publishing houses keep track of their back catalog. They don’t have electronic copies of those, and from a technical perspective, it was a nightmare. But this was an easy tool for an individual to use in order to turn something into an e-book. From a publishing company’s perspective, they would have to set up a new channel. But this was nothing that Monterail did wrong.

How did Monterail perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Trello to communicate and manage the project. They would release versions that could be tested and what I enjoyed was the responsiveness of their team. The process was very lean and simplistic.

What did you find most impressive about Monterail?

They were very economic. Compared to other agencies, they delivered a lot in terms of the budget. Other agencies were twice as expensive. The quality I received was good given the circumstances. I was completely satisfied with their service.

Are there any areas Monterail could improve?

No. We met several times in person and they’re pleasant to talk to. I’m currently talking to them about another project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are developing a web platform to manage human resources and administration in small companies in Switzerland. The company was started almost 2 years ago. I’m the chief executive officer and co-founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Monterail?

We wanted to find a development team in Europe that had enough qualified resources available immediately at a reasonable price.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They began working with us at the very beginning of the project. We prepared the specifications ourselves but they’ve been very helpful in defining the scope of the project, building the right team, and working on the project. We work in an Agile way and include the feedback of the customer as well. They make the onboarding smooth for any new resource that joins the team.

How did you come to work with Monterail?

Monterail was recommended to us.

How much have you invested with Monterail?

We’ve spent $300,000 with Monterail so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with Monterail in September 2015 and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We deploy new features or updates every 10 days to 2 weeks. We have more than 350 companies using the beta version of the app. Even though we’re not done with the development, it’s good enough to use today.

How did Monterail perform from a project management standpoint?

In terms of tools, we are using JIRA for our internal project management. We use Slack for communication. We used Basecamp at the beginning to share documents and define the scope of the project.

The role of the project manager at Monterail is crucial and he is doing a fantastic job facilitating communications and making sure the project runs smoothly.

What did you find most impressive about Monterail?

What we’ve appreciated is feeling that we had a team on site. They are not only looking to deliver the solution, but they want to understand the business model. They are very much involved in the success that we have as a startup. They are very communicative. They’re not just a number on a spreadsheet; they are a part of our team. Their development work is great as well.

Are there any areas Monterail could improve?

The team is very young, so they are very energetic and dynamic. They always have good ideas and are willing to learn, but they don’t have senior members with 20 years of experience to train someone coming on the team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are an equity-based crowdfunding platform based in Germany. I’m the managing director.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Monterail further developed our platform which was originally coded in Ruby on Rails. We already had an online investment process as an auction model, and they reprogrammed it to a first-come, first-served model. They helped us develop a CMS along with other features for the platform. We had an in-house graphic designer, so we were using their team exclusively for the development of this project.

How did you come to work with Monterail?

I met them in Berlin at a conference. Six months later when we needed someone, I contacted them.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

We spent between $30,000 and $50,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from September 2013 until March 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I feel an important part of the relationship was that I trusted them. Monterail suggested we find an agency in Berlin because of plans we had for our product which is why the relationship ended in 2015. It was important to them that we were successful in our development and that we are happy. They were transparent about what was best for us even though it wasn’t in their best interest.

How did Monterail perform from a project management standpoint?

The communication was very smooth. We found a process, and it was enjoyable to work with them. If there were any changes in resources, the process was always smooth. We used Trello to manage the project which is easy for a non-IT person to use.

What did you find most impressive about Monterail?

They perform quickly and were always accessible. The developers really think about what they’re doing. They give recommendations for the project. It’s important for developers to be able to use language a non-technical person can understand.

Are there any areas Monterail could improve?

They had shifts in the team, but I think that’s normal. It was always smooth, so there isn’t anything negative I can mention.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Merck is a pharmaceutical and chemical company. I am the principal of new businesses and formerly manager of the CEO office.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Monterail?

I needed two websites developed: one for African doctors to collaborate, work, and share knowledge among each other and another for allowing patients to do an online risk assessment for diabetes. The two projects were run under the overall digitization project for Africa, so it was a high priority within the top management of Merck.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did the development, design, and launching of our websites.

How did you come to work with Monterail?

I was personally recommended to Monterail by acquaintances who used to work with them in the past. I got in touch with them and explained my requirements and needs. In comparison to other agencies, I decided on them because they had the best approach and pricing.

How much have you invested with Monterail?

It was around €50,000 at the beginning of the project. After that, we had a €5,000 monthly limit which was sometimes exceeded but always based on approval.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in January 2015. Although I no longer work with them since I changed roles, the previous department I was in still works with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

One good example is the redesign of the website they developed. We had a new logo and design, so we wanted the website redesigned in a certain way. They came up with two suggestions: one more aligned with the corporate color and design and the other one being less flashy and exciting than the first site but still fit within our design guidelines. Our company wanted the more exciting corporate version of the site. However, they convinced us to make a data-driven decision to understand which landing page had a better conversion rate. In the end, it turned out that the less flashy site performed much better. I really liked their approach of convincing us through data-driven metrics and not only on personal opinions.

How did Monterail perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed very well from a project management standpoint. It was well-structured and clear with weekly calls and email updates in between weeks. Their communication with us was positive. They always had someone responsible for certain tasks with one account manager being our main point of contact, who was extremely responsive. What was quite nice was they felt like a part of our team rather than a typical client-agency relationship.

What did you find most impressive about Monterail?

I liked that they took the time to understand the requirements at the initiation of the project. They not only took the requirements for granted but challenged them by getting behind the requirements and making sure that everything made sense.

Meetings with Monterail were fun because it was about creating something together rather than dictating what you want, and I found that to be very impressive. So far, it is the only time I have found an agency doing this, and it is something that is quite uniquely positive.

Are there any areas Monterail could improve?

I can see it potentially happening where they might go against specific expectations of a client. But in my case, it worked out very well. It is not like they never understood what I wanted and I was not disappointed with anything about them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Cooleaf is a business-to-business [B2B] software-as-a-service company focused on helping employers scale the people side of their business. Companies can build a strong culture using our platform to create community, internal communication, rewards, and recognition.

I’m the co-founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Monterail?

We needed a development partner for both web and mobile.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our engagement began when we were a startup looking to get a minimum viable product off the ground and launched. We initially started with Monterail by giving them a small project several years ago. We continued to give them work, and they are now our full-time development partners. They provide front-end and backend development, design, and quality assurance. They follow an Agile development process where we have a project team that defines the scope of work. For us, they work with Ruby on Rails and the Angular stack. We implemented an iOS and Android native app through Ionic Framework. They’re also involved in our overall support, and we use Rackspace and Amazon Web Services for hosting. They’re always available if we have issues. Depending on the project we’re working on, they provide between 4 and 6 full-time resources.

How much have you invested with Monterail?

We spend $200,000 to $1,000,000 with them per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began our relationship in 2012 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We had talked about building our own development team, but we decided to expand the relationship with them because they’re able to execute. They’ve been helpful by being involved in the strategic and conceptual design. They’ve also given their ideas and feedback. They provide support whenever we need it, even late at night.

How did Monterail perform from a project management standpoint?

They have a project manager that coordinates the work. We Skype multiple days a week based on the scope of the project.

Are there any areas Monterail could improve?

For a company wanting an outsourced development team, clients need to be aware that the process takes time. That’s not just specific to Monterail, but rather something we’ve learned.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I founded a logistics company and it’s being acquired by Computer Science Corporation. I am a co-founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Monterail?

I was looking for an additional outsourcing company to work on applications. I wanted to decrease my risk by not using one firm exclusively. So I was looking for a company with expertise in the area I needed, which was Ruby on Rails development, and that’s where I found Monterail.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided a business-to-business web application for the supply chain industry. I used Monterail for user experience and user interface design, and the whole spectrum of development capabilities as well.

How did you come to work with Monterail?

I found them through a web search for Ruby on Rails developers. The reason I went with them was because they were technically strong and they were able to put together the most credible plan for what I wanted to build.

How much have you invested with Monterail?

The first project was a fixed price at $6,000. Since then I’ve been spending up to $20,000 to $30,000 a month with them depending on how things are shaped up. The total investment would be a few hundred thousand dollars, but not up to a million.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in 2010 and I’m still working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

There are no specific metrics, but the length of the relationship speaks to how things are going.

How did Monterail perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very good. We started using Trello as a project management tool and then we moved to Jira.

What did you find most impressive about Monterail?

They’ve been really strong on design. They don’t just build to your requirements. They make sure they understand, which may take a bit longer, but in the end, you get a better product.

Are there any areas Monterail could improve?

I’m very happy with them. I would recommend them to anybody that needs product design. They’re more expensive than other firms I’ve used.