MOST Programming

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing at an international trade association. We work with stakeholders in medical tourism.

What challenge were you trying to address with MOST Programming?

We wanted to develop a tool where stakeholders could conduct research to assess the feasibility of a business endeavor.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a calculator tool. Stakeholders can type in different numbers to see the impact medical tourism can have on their region. The tool aggregates data to determine the effect that such tourism can have on hospitals, hotels, and other industries.

I believe that they used C#. We provided designs and wireframes that they brought to life.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three people including the CEO, CTO, and lead programmer. 

How did you come to work with MOST Programming?

My boss, who is the owner of our company, selected MOST Programming. They had developed similar tools in the past. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around July 2019. The tool has been built, but we’re continuing to optimize it. We probably completed the initial development in February 2020.

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

We haven’t launched the tool yet, so I don’t have statistics I can share that demonstrate the impact of the engagement. However, I’ve worked with many developers, but MOST Programming is at the top of their game. They’re really solid. 

How did MOST Programming perform from a project management standpoint?

We saw success from a project management perspective. We did not use any project management tools to collaborate with them. However, they met deadlines and were great to collaborate with. I’d give them a 10/10. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re extremely experienced. They understand our industry and can delve into the specifics of the work, more so than we were expecting. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve their understanding of design and user experience. While they had an understanding of UX, they couldn’t advise as much on that aspect as they could with other parts of the project. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

Have a solid idea of what you want to produce and what the desired impact is. It’s important to nail down all of the conceptual aspects prior to starting the development process.

Please describe your company and your position there.

CTO for a financial services company dealing with stock market charting and analytics.

For what projects/services did your company hire MOST Programming?

An older set a code needed to be modified and updated to meet the business requirements.

What were your goals for this project?

Add new features and fix some non functioning parts for the code both back-end and front end.

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed and worked with a few different dev companies in the selection process for this project and MOST was the best in their communication and understanding of the objectives. They worked quickly and stayed on top of the deadlines and budgets very well.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The project consisted of maintaining and updating an existing web application. The current code base that they inherited on an existing platform and had some errors and updates that were needed. They worked with us to organize and update the code to work as we needed it to for our clients.

What was the team composition?

We work with an account manager, a project manager and some different dev resources. It has been very helpful to have great project management on their team to keep everything organized, on time, and on budget. We have found this to be a rare and great service not found in many software dev companies.

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

They have helped us keep our budget working toward the most impactful items and delivering to our clients the features that are of biggest importance.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project management has been top notch with PMP certified managers to very professionally get the work accomplished as expected.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their consistent communication and attention to budget and timeframe impressed us. They have continued to meet every deadline and have always been on budget.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can think of.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Butterfly Pavilion is the worlds only stand-alone invertebrate zoo. We are home to a vast array of animals from spiders to octopuses to butterflies to jellyfish. I am the Exhibits Director.

For what projects/services did your company hire MOST Programming?

We needed a touchscreen app for our newest exhibit/learning playscape called Colorado Backyard. The program needs to capture pledge selections along with email and other data. The program takes that data, a photo of the user, then composes an email that is sent to the user. Captured data is sent to our interpretive manager.

What were your goals for this project?

To get our guests to commit to a conservation pledge and then to have the reminder email sent out to them. We wanted to capture the data so we could follow up with each user to encourage and offer help in their selected pledge.

How did you select this vendor?

MOST was selected by our exhibits team VP after a comprehensive search for a suitable programmer. As the Exhibits Director, I started meetings with MOST after the contract was in place. They hit the ground running very fast to catch up to my project timeline.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They designed a program to be deployed on a touchscreen monitor that is displayed in one of our exhibit rooms. The program consists of pledge selection and other question screens, a user input form, and a camera screen. The program captures the data and sends reports to our interpretation manager.

What was the team composition?

We worked with two individuals. Marina and Wayne. Both were very easy to get along with and knowledgable about the technical aspects of the kind of program we were looking for.

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

This touchscreen will enable us to get a glimpse of which conservation pledges are picked most often and which are not. It will enable us to follow up with the users and check their progress and offer options to help.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was acceptable. Marina communicated often with progress. The followed up after the deployment to see how the program was reacting to use. There are still a few issues but they are being addressed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their affability was infectous. So very friendly. It was enjoyable to see them and have lunch which they bought. They are very good about following up and helping get fixes made.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Some parts of the program didn't perform up to task. The camera would freeze to take a bad image. The user form would freeze and lock up the program.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm with the research team at the U.S. Travel Association, the national organization representing all components of the travel industry.

What challenge were you trying to address with MOST Programming?

We were looking for creative ways to display and manage our data. Ultimately, we wanted to display the data in a way that could be used to show the economic impact of travel and tourism within the U.S. and make it available to our members and subscribers.

What was the scope of their involvement?

MOST helped us add additional sections and subscriptions to our site, including a section called “Key Statistics and Forecasts.”

They also developed our travel economic impact calculators, which allow users to interact with data and see the effect of potential increases (or decreases) in traveler spending on the wider economy. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working together for about two years.

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

MOST does a good job understanding our needs and creating effective data visualizations. They've developed both user- and mobile-friendly data sets and contributed a lot of great suggestions throughout the engagement.  

How did MOST Programming perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management flow is clear and transparent. We generally communicate with them by email, but also talk through our ideas over the phone every few weeks.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They've been good about listening to our needs and coming up with valuable, creative solutions.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If possible, try to meet with their team in person or talk over the phone at the beginning of the relationship as much as possible to get to know each other's thought processes, company culture, and so on. That made all the difference for us.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was a senior information analyst at Hospital Shared Services (HSS), a security company that serves the healthcare industry.

For what projects/services did your company hire MOST Programming?

A previous company had developed our business intelligence indicator website. After they went out of business, MOST Programming won the contract for site maintenance and development.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to provide meaningful information for executive decision-making.

How did you select this vendor?

My boss searched for local companies that could assist with our needs. I believe they accepted proposals from three companies, with MOST Programming emerging as the top choice. They offered reasonable pricing and even hired some developers from our previous vendor.

Describe the project in detail.

MOST Programming had to acquire all data and programming, including access to proprietary coding. After moving everything to new servers, they created new security and accounts. They continue to maintain the site.

What was the team composition?

HSS assigned three persons to work with Marina (CEO & Founder, MOST Programming) and two developers from MOST Programming.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

MOST Programming handled the transition and tasks quite smoothly. They’ve done a great job, completing everything on time and within the budget.  

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication was great, as we scheduled weekly and ad hoc meetings as well as spoke over email. There were no delays, and no intervention was required from our end.  

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The MOST Programming team is highly professional, detail-oriented, and knowledgeable.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I run an individual law practice, Peter Durante LLC.

What challenge were you trying to address with MOST Programming?

Initially, I sent my clients a paper questionnaire to gather information. They’d fill it out by hand, and I’d scan it into my administrative system. The inconvenience was turning clients away from my practice, so I decided to automate the process with a software solution. I needed a vendor to bring my idea to life.

What was the scope of their involvement?

MOST Programming developed software to replace my physical estate planning forms. With the new system, I simply email my clients an encrypted and highly secure digital questionnaire for them to fill out at their own convenience. Once I receive their answers, I can also use the information to populate additional client forms.

What is the team composition?

I primarily work with Marina (CEO & CTO, MOST Programming) and Wayne (Co-Founder & Principal Partner).

How did you come to work with MOST Programming?

I worked with a few members of their staff at a previous job.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent around $7,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first discussed the project in November 2017. The bulk of the work lasted from spring–August 2018.

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

The new software increased my efficiency in managing client relationships. I can allocate my time to other tasks. Clients reacted positively to the automated method. They prefer the simple form over the paper questionnaire. I’ve also experienced better appointment rates. Clients used to cancel their appointments because the written form was a hassle. With the digital version, they’re more likely to follow through.

How did MOST Programming perform from a project management standpoint?

I was impressed with their performance because I tasked them with a lot of work. Their turnaround rate was consistently quick. MOST Programming set up a database and gave me access so that I could add specific projects and help them prioritize their workflow. They were very flexible in accommodating my requests.

Additionally, the team has a good balance of technical skill and business knowledge. I communicated my idea from a company perspective, and they recommended the tools to build it out best. MOST Programming really took the time to understand my vision so that they could provide a valuable solution.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They turned a vague idea into an effective product. MOST Programming didn’t just listen to my initial plan; they discussed my ideas then applied their expertise to come up with the best solution. Even though they offered valuable insight, I still felt in control of the process.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, all of the delays stemmed from my end. I was pretty busy, so I had to do a lot of the work during off hours. Once I provided them with information, they worked at a good pace.

Any advice for potential customers?

Before partnering with MOST Programming, clients should take time on their own to figure out their end goal. The more comprehensive the plan, the faster and smoother the collaboration will be in the long run.

Please describe your company and your position there.

At Strattex Solutions, we offer hyperlocal marketing for local business owners.

For what projects/services did your company hire MOST Programming?

We needed MOST Programming to develop custom software to automate content posting for our clients’ Google Maps accounts.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to get the software built, launched and working smoothly for our clients within a reasonable time frame.

How did you select this vendor?

We were referred to the MOST Programming team.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

MOST Programming designed, built and launched the custom software. They went on to teach us how to use it and leverage it for our existing clients.

What was the team composition?

We worked with two project managers and two lead developers.

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

MOST Programming delivered a custom software that has allowed us to serve more clients. Now, we can provide more value to our clientele as a whole.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

MOST Programming designed and scoped the project first and then went on to developing and launching. Our workflow was very effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I found their commitment to delivering the right solution the first time to be unmatched. They went above and beyond to make sure they built a product that aligned with our goals and those of our clients.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

At this time, no. MOST Programming knocked it out of the park.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

As the former Director of Corporate Services at HHS, I was accountable for providing I.T. services and supporting business operations.

What challenge were you trying to address with MOST Programming?

We discovered the overseas contractor we’d hired was bankrupt and going out of business. Lacking the resources in-house to bring the project domestic, we hired MOST Programming to take over the design and development design for a business intelligence portal.

As a cross between a decision support and data analytics tool, it contains a database of attributes in the hospital community. Via the portal, our marketing and sales team can enter into a search stream and obtain intelligence results.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I made the initial technical exchange, and they liaised with and supplanted the foreign company as our new provider. After arranging with Microsoft to secure a virtual space, they made the transfer. Testing confirmed the business portal still functioned as required. They continue to make minor changes as necessary for monthly maintenance. Their programming help has been crucial to the solution.

What is the team dynamic?

Since the project was turnkey and completed entirely in-house, I’m not aware of the team composition. I interacted with the CEO, Marina Johnson, the most during this project.

How did you come to work with MOST Programming?

They provided a transparent, detailed, and thorough response to our request for proposals. Having worked together previously at HHS, our assistant director identified Marina Johnson as a possible respondent. Marina led the I.T. team prior to my arrival, and founded MOST Programming after retiring.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around 13,000, and pay them a recurring monthly maintenance fee. Their price was the most affordable, and traceable to the same work done by the overseas company.

What is the status of this engagement?

We onboarded in November 2016, after offshoring from the overseas company. Our project is an ongoing collaboration.

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

The portal has functioned exactly as expected, without any issues. We’ve seen increased efficiency since they started supporting the project. In terms of cost savings, it was turnkey. Since we lacked the resources in-house, they took care of everything. The process was seamless. All the work was delivered on time, within budget, and the quality was perfect. They even beat the term time we had planned to onshore.

How did MOST Programming perform from a project management standpoint?

I couldn't have asked for a better experience. They were absolutely exceptional. We mainly corresponded by phone call or email, and occasionally met in person. They were remarkably responsive, and even contacted us proactively to keep us apprised of their progress. Most notably, I appreciated their transparency.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I felt fortunate to work with them. They were extremely thorough and detail oriented, and went to great lengths to satisfy me as a customer. It was a very pleasant experience, and they’re on the top of my list of vendors if I ever need similar services.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an attorney at Wink and Wink PC. It’s a small business.

What challenge were you trying to address with MOST?

We needed help automating and capturing certain client, debtor, and perspective client information, and then provide automated feedback. We also wanted to populate a bankruptcy petition from that information.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built our website from scratch. Right now, it's a questionnaire that we send our clients to, and the results are then submitted to us. The next phase is to include automated feedback at the end, where based on what you entered, it’ll tell you what you’re dealing with. So far, it’s just website development. There's more design on the backend because I had an interface, but they’ve rebuilt it.

What is the team dynamic?

I directly work with 2 different people, and they have at least 1–2 others on the backend.

How did you come to work with MOST?

They were a referral, though I considered other firms. I selected MOST because they were flexible and responsive. They sold me on the idea that we would be working together long term, rather than just viewing it as a single project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2016, and the work is ongoing.

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

There have been 100s of users so far, and it seems to be working well, though we’re still in very early phases. The feedback has been positive.

How did MOST perform from a project management standpoint?

They've done well. We communicate a couple times a month, using email, phone calls, and in-person meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to define the scope of the project and to work with me to bring the vision to reality.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were some backend issues with what I had already developed. They were trying to work with it but eventually said it all had to be redone. They should have brought that to me sooner, and we could have saved ourselves some wheel spinning.

Do you have any advice for a potential client of MOST?

Hire them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of research data management of the U.S. Travel Association. We are a lobbying group for the travel and tourism industry in the United States.

Aside from being a lobbying group, we also have the biggest trade show for the industry where buyers and suppliers of tour packages from all over the world come together in the United States every year to transact their business.

What challenge were you trying to address with MOST Programming?

My team is the research department for the U.S. Travel Association. We conduct research on programs that act as a support to our lobbying activities. Essentially, we calculate the economic impact of travel and tourism in the United States. We provide data to our lobbyists and to some members of other teams within the U.S. Travel Association.

We manage a lot of data, and about 3 years ago, we wanted a website where all this data could be stored. If someone needs something, all they need to do is head to the website and pull the data they need. However, the vendor we were using for that website went bankrupt last year, and we were in need of another vendor who could do the same thing.

What was the scope of their involvement?

MOST Programming maintains the website. We send MOST data on a monthly basis, and they upload those sets of numbers to the website.

On top of that, we are currently working with them on building a survey which is going to be housed within that website. They are working like a survey software, but just for this specific survey that we are doing.

What is the team dynamic?

I speak with Marina [CEO/CTO], Wayne [Co-founder and Principal Partner], as well as Slava, and Igor.

How did you come to work with MOST Programming?

MOST was recommended to us by our contact with the old vendor. There were 3 companies that we were choosing from. We chose MOST because we told their employees that we were going to be transitioning to them from the previous vendor.

MOST was also recommended to us by our IT, as they have clear-cut strategies on how to deal with the transition. They felt more comfortable with them compared to other companies that we were considering. It was a smooth sailing transition as they knew exactly what we wanted, and what the website is all about.

How much have you invested in them? 

Confidential.

What is the status of this engagement? 

We started working with them in December 2016, and the work is ongoing. 

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

The best evidence that we can share is that we are very satisfied with their service. They are dependable. Their programmers are really smart and knowledgeable, and I am very satisfied with what they know. Whatever you want them to do for your website, they can do it.

How did MOST Programming perform from a project management standpoint?

They are very responsive. We mostly communicate through emails and phone. It is very easy to communicate with them even though some of their developers are located in Russia. Our meetings, most of the time, are conference calls. Sometimes there is a slight communication barrier because we can’t understand what the programmer is saying; however, when we tell them what to do, they get it and do it the right way.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive thing is their knowledge of what we do. We have been working with the same people who already knew what we wanted and how we do things. It has been a very smooth transition to MOST.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing I can think of is most of their programmers are based in Russia. Because of the time difference between Russia and D.C., there is some lag. It would be a lot better if they had more programmers based in the United States. Currently, I send the programmer an email and depending on whether that programmer is still awake or not, there can be a little bit of lag where problem resolution is concerned, which is not a problem, to begin with, but there is room for improvement.