nventive

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a copywriter for LG2, an advertising company operating in Quebec, Montreal, and Toronto. I’m based in Quebec.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cortex?

I had an idea for a magic trick that used eye-tracking technology to show people a card they picked while watching cards on billboards. We wanted to use the technology at bus stops for the Magic Festival of Quebec City. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I knew of Cortex's capabilities, but this was still a big challenge for them because they’d never used eye-tracking technology before. However, they were happy to take on the challenge when I approached them.

We've also worked with them on applications and other interactive technologies planned for 2017.

How did you come to work with Cortex?

My sister was a graphic designer there, and she informed me that they were familiar with this kind of work. She arranged a meeting for me with Jean-Michel Lebeau [CEO, Cortex], and we talked about the project. We also contacted a number of companies in Montreal since there aren’t many tech groups in Quebec, but none had done something like this before. Cortex was the only company that told us it was possible, and they completed it just fine.

How much have you invested with them?

I’m unsure of the exact cost since I don’t handle financial issues, but we’ve spent under $10,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in April 2017. This particular project was launched in April or May, and it’s currently online. We have a partnership of some kind, and are also working on other projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are about to do some metrics research because we’re entering the solution into a contest.

The display was available for one day, from early morning, until afternoon. We reached a lot of people, but the goal was always to create a case study video to reach more people. The original video allowed us to receive an innovation award in Canada, so it’s definitely made its way through the advertising community.

The Quebec Magic Festival also used it for its widespread promotion. I’m unsure how many people were present, but the video was shown at every magic festival gala. 

We knew the eye-tracking accuracy wouldn’t operate well outside. We had 80% accuracy when we were hoping for 20%, so the results were very good, but not perfect. The ultimate goal was to have a technology that worked every time.

How did Cortex perform from a project management standpoint?

The project was very rushed. We only had one month to do everything from scratch, including inventing technology that would work inside of bus stops. It was hard to do, but we made it.

Their project management was amazing. We had a lot of questions because we didn’t know anything about the technology, but they still remained flexible and patient. They were comprehensive, and their ability to effectively work with time constraints and a small budget made noticeable differences. 

We visited a couple bus stops to take measurements, so it felt special to them because it was a custom-made project. They were happy to work on it, even though they weren’t making a lot of money.

We felt someone was constantly working for us because they made the project their priority. It was well done, and nothing was rushed or cheaply made. 

I visited their office to check progress, and everyone was always welcoming. They were friendly and open to us visiting them, and setting up meetings were never complicated. Working with them was human and practical because their team was available and also very good at what they do. They are a small company, but they hire the best employees, which is why they collaborate so well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The follow-through, project management, and communication were very nice. They communicated very well, and never questioned us when we needed to change things at the last minute. The team was so proactive that they found solutions to questions we hadn’t even asked yet.

Their team knows their technology and capabilities well. We don’t get involved with technology often, so we needed a partner like Cortex who knew exactly what they were doing.

I recommend everyone work with them. It was our first experience with the company, but since then, we’ve continued to give them projects. We consider them a partner now.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, it was a perfect project. They did exactly what we asked for, gave their time, and provided many things. We had a small budget and strict time constraints for this project, so many problems could have appeared, but didn’t. It really worked well, so I don’t have anything bad to say about them. We’ve experienced minimal issues with other projects.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a point-of-sale software company providing solutions for restaurants. We have an end-to-end platform from the front of house to the corporate office, and also have mobile applications for it. I am the technical product manager for the maître d’ system.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cortex?

We needed to develop a mobile app for one of our products. It would serve as a feedback tool for store managers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The web app was built for iOS and Android, and it was meant for fetching data from one of our cloud services, and display it in a dashboard view for notifications and alerts.

We also developed a mobile POS and food-ordering app for the restaurant with Cortex. It’s still under construction. It will initially be developed for Android tablets, and uses the Cordova technology, which will allow us to go cross-platform easily in the future. It allows waiters to enter orders and have them go directly to the POS system.

Cortex is managing our Google Play and Android Store accounts, which is very helpful, since we don’t have knowledge on that side.

How did you come to work with Cortex?

We’re based in Montreal, while Cortex is in Quebec. We have many internal connections with companies which are working with this type of developer. We also looked at one company in Montreal, but chose Cortex because of their proposed starting time. Both developers were on the same level, so it was a matter of delivery speed.

How much have you invested with Cortex?

The food-ordering app will have a cost above CA$100,000. [$74,000] The first app was less complex than the ordering one, and doesn’t compare in terms of cost.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Cortex in March 2013. We continue to update the application regularly, and have new versions every few months. The ordering app is 80% complete.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The feedback for the app, which is on the market, is very good. There were some bugs in it, but Cortex fixed them as we went. The main issue was in terms of our own backend, and was not related to the app itself.

The app has above 800 active users. There can be more than one user per restaurant because the target audience is made up of managers and owners. There is a good chunk of people using the application. It’s linked to a product which we sell, so we mainly look at how many people are enrolling within it, installing it on their phones and actively using it. The app is free on Google Play, with the actual subscriptions being made on the backend.

How did Cortex perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s been easy to work with Cortex, but we have had some communication lags. Items which we thought were simple were misunderstood, which led to more back-and-forth. Overall, it’s very good, and we’ve gotten what we asked for. Cortex’ team is easy to work with.

The first app was delivered in an acceptable timeframe with no issues. For the other one, the delays are coming from our side, so I can’t fault Cortex for that.

We have received weekly reports through which we could see exactly where we were. Cortex has provided access to JIRA, their bug-tracking system. We can enter bugs there directly, and follow the process.

What did you find most impressive about Cortex?

On the project management side, our weekly reports have been very well-done and informative, which has helped our POS project a lot. Technology-wise, Cortex has good ideas on how we can improve the project afterwards. The data-board app was started three or four years ago, and Cortex has been giving us ideas on how we can improve it in terms of technology. They are always looking at improvements on the mobile app space, and give us consultations.

Are there any areas Cortex could improve?

I would have made sure that, at the beginning of our POS project, communication channels were flowing properly, so that we wouldn’t receive the kickbacks we’ve had. The problem was mainly on our side. On the next project, I will make sure that this is done, and eliminate any communication issues.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I represent a public bus transit company in Canada. I work in the marketing and communications department, mostly with our web tools, including the company site, mobile application, digital screens, advertising and client communication.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cortex?

We wanted to develop a mobile application for our client.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cortex built our app. Some of its functionalities are native, but I cannot specify and technical aspects.

The application geolocates clients and displays the next departures of nearby buses in real time. The app also displays notices related to our routes, unavailable stops, and so on. It allows users to look at schedules for our fleet, and it can also create an itinerary, showing people which buses they need to take from point A to point B. They can also mark favorite routes, and look at all fares.

We have built-in APIs which provide all the data around our routes, stops, scheduling and so on. Cortex needed to connect to our web service in order to make sure that they were providing the proper information in real-time.

How did you come to work with Cortex?

I was not working for the company when Cortex first started, but I know that they went through a public RFP. We had two major criteria, the price being one of them, as well as the quality and expertise of the company, relative to mobile applications. They analyzed several candidates, and Cortex got the contract.

How much have you invested with Cortex?

[Cost confidential to maintain anonymity.] Since we are a public organization, maintaining the initial budget was very important. Cortex stuck to it, and the results were in-line with what we had in mind.

What is the status of this engagement?

The application was launched at the beginning of April 2016, and the work on it was started two months previously. Cortex is still working with us on optimizing the app and creating new functionalities. We will be launching an update next week.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app has had over 100,000 downloads. The app is for a small city and not everyone uses public transportation, so the usage and download count are great, from our perspective. Many people are using the app on a daily basis. The app has proved a useful tool for them to know when in real time their bus will arrive.

How did Cortex perform from a project management standpoint?

The project went well. Cortex was really transparent: they sent us weekly summaries of what had been done and what we were planning to do next. We never had surprises, and went through daily scrums towards the end, in order to make sure we were sticking to the plan. If we encountered any bugs or other issues, Cortex informed us about it.

They are using JIRA for bug tracking. We had access to it, and could report any issues or improvements identified on our side. The daily communication was done mostly by email.

What did you find most impressive about Cortex?

Understanding our needs and being able to suggest some additional functionalities. Their team approached the app from our clients’ perspective, and also looked at what apps from other countries had done. They were not just executing what we thought would be best, but also suggested ways to improve how the information was delivered, from a UX and UI perspective.

Are there any areas Cortex could improve?

At first, we were asking to be kept informed more often. As soon as we brought it up, Cortex did it. Maybe it’s not the case for all clients, but we do need a lot of information around our projects, in order to report to management.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an account manager for a digital agency. We produce digital experiences both online and at events for client brands. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cortex?

We needed help with a virtual reality [VR] project in 2016. The client was a major news corporation looking to showcase some of their news analytics tools in VR to demonstrate the usefulness of those tools in a real-world environment.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We gave them the creative brief, and Cortex handled all UI design and frontend development for us. The 360-degree experience was developed for desktop and mobile VR. They took the brand style guide and client creative brief for products and services and integrated it into an HTML5 mobile VR experience.

How did you come to work with Cortex?

They reached out to someone on my team a little over a year ago and met with us in New York. We went over some of their work and sent them an RFP. We decided to give them a shot on what was initially a small project that ended up expanding. We work with many development groups and are always looking to find new teams.

Cortex created working VR demos for us proactively, as a sample of what we’d need in the experience. This effort made us excited to work with them. They were really great to work with throughout the process. Their attitude and work ethic were evident before we even started the project.

How much have you invested with Cortex?

The cost of Cortex’ work was around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Cortex in March of 2016. The VR app was delivered in September. There were many delays from the client in terms of launch date and sending information. There were some pauses caused by us not having access to the client’s APIs and not receiving information. I have nothing but great things to say about Cortex, and we look forward to working together again soon.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The experience we built for the company was used as an internal sales resource. It wasn’t necessarily public-facing until a certain point. As such, we don’t really have performance metrics because those details were kept confidential even to us, the developers.

Because of the nature of the timeline, the client worked with us through troubleshooting and QA. I don’t have specific feedback, but I do know that the client was happy with how the product came out; it was exactly what they were looking for.

How did Cortex perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly communicated through email and Slack, which we were given access to from Cortex’s end. Mathieu was my main contact, except when he was on vacation for a week and they put me in touch with a developer. Cortex was always communicative. I liked having a main contact rather than 5 or 6. He led all the communication and development efforts.

If Cortex’s team didn’t think we would be able to get a certain feature ready in time for a smooth launch, they brought it up to me. I don’t remember exactly what those issues were, but there were certain features of the experience that they didn’t think would be delivered on time. Even though we had a long project timeline, there was a bit of a crunch at the end, and Cortex definitely brought this to my attention. They cared about the project launching without any glitches or flaws, which I definitely appreciated. Many development groups would not have brought these matters to someone’s attention, choosing instead to launch things that didn’t work perfectly.

Cortex was honest with me about their internal resources and project timeline for development. Everything was transparent, and I was able to see every step of the process from their side as well. Cortex’s internal project management worked very well, which made my life easier, especially when dealing with a very difficult client. We don’t want to have a difficult client and an equally difficult development group. That would have doubled if not tripled the headaches caused by the project.

What did you find most impressive about Cortex?

Communication was their top strength. Cortex has an easygoing team and addressed any concerns before they became problems. They’re good in terms of development skill but not the best I’ve ever worked with.

Are there any areas Cortex could improve?

Nothing really comes to mind. Cortex was transparent with everything, in terms of the assets and formats required. They answered all my questions proactively and even raised some that I didn’t realize at first. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Peak Design is a design company specializing in outdoor photography and lifestyle carry-gear including bags, backpacks, and camera accessories. I’m the head of marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cortex?

We hired Cortex because we were about 80% of the way through a website rebuild and needed help to finish it. We tried to do the work in-house but we ran into problems with the Magento platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We gave Cortex a list of things that needed to be done to the website in order for it to be ready to launch. Most of it was frontend work. They provided problem-solving but also helped us design the experience better than we envisioned it. They were fast and very effective. Anytime we have something that needs to be fixed and has to be done perfectly, we always call them. We continue to use them as our go-to Magento development house.

How did you come to work with Cortex?

We were looking for developers that had Magento, backend and frontend experience along with UI/UX design. We found Cortex through a staffing agency called Crew. We talked to 3 or 4 firms and Cortex put together the best proposal. They also had the best range of experience.

How much have you invested with Cortex?

We have spent between $50,000 and $100,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October 2015, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One of the features that they implemented on our site was product reviews. Within 3 months of that feature going live, we had more than 500 reviews. They worked on features that are the most heavily used and the most successful. They also implemented our affiliate module and that now accounts for 15% of our website revenue. That means there’s a lot of sales happening through this affiliate program.

How did Cortex perform from a project management standpoint?

We used to have a weekly meeting; now it’s more of a meeting between my developer and their developers and project manager. They’re very communicative of their progress. The project manager is Maude and she’s great about asking the right questions. We communicate using phone and email and they’re very responsive. They’ve given us a high degree of confidence that they are working hard to solve our problems and they are using their time efficiently.

What did you find most impressive about Cortex?

Their communication is great and they do what they say they’re going to do. They never fail to internalize what our goals are and work to solve them.

Are there any areas Cortex could improve?

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m one of the co-founders of Play Crowdy Inc., a solution for fan engagement and crowd gaming. By using smartphones, everyone in an audience can play the same game at the same time on a giant screen or projected on the court/ice.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cortex?

We hired them to program a prototype of a game using a web browser on smartphones. They created the backend and frontend to allow thousands of people to log into the same game at the same time.

What were your goals for this project?

Our main goal was to create a working prototype for a tradeshow in Philadelphia.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They have created a lot of apps for big organizations in Québec and they were enthusiastic about our startup.

Describe the project in detail.

They programmed the backend and frontend of our game, finding solutions to any issues we met. They helped us with many things and were part of every important decision concerning the orientation of our startup.

What was the team composition?

I don't know how many people worked on our project but I guess there were at least five people involved.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What outcomes or results can you share that demonstrate progress and/or success?

They delivered the app faster than expected and not many corrections were needed. It's a success.

How effective was the project management?

The workflow was very effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

It's a young business that grew fast. They seem to be really passionate about their work.

What tips or recommendations do you have?

They know their jobs better than I do.