Orases

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CIO of a regional music company. With nine locations across the Midwest, we provide rental band and orchestra instruments for grade school students. We work with a lot of directors, and usually, go to schools so students can pick out their instruments.  

What challenge were you trying to address with Orases?

We had a couple of different issues. Our information was siloed in different ERP and CMS tools. In order to coordinate between our internal staff and sales reps, our sales reps had to duplicate their actions in each tool.

There were a lot of disparate parts that needed to come together, and one of the biggest challenges was that the ERP running our company business was based on FoxPro, which is an outdated flat file system.

We needed a partner that could integrate all those tools, build new workflows, and create calendaring software.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Orases developed an information processing software that connects with our ERP. Then they created the whole workflow piece of the software. It ensures that our pricing is always accurate, taking into account different tax rates in different locations.

What is the team composition?

We worked with about six people from their team. The project manager was our primary contact at the start of the project, but we also worked with senior developers and a UX designer. As the project went on, they introduced us to other workers.

How did you come to work with Orases?

Our IT partner helped guide us through the RFP process. They brought about a dozen companies to us, including Orases. Then I read through each candidate’s Clutch reviews and narrowed it down to three choices. Our committee assessed each candidate and gave a strong go-ahead for Orases.

How much have you invested with them?

The quote was $200,000–$240,000, and they stayed in budget. They weren’t the lowest quote, but they definitely weren’t the highest.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Orases in April, and they finished the product in July 2018.

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

The product has resolved a number of the recurring issues we’ve had. The pricing functionalities of the software have really increased our efficiency. They under-promised and over delivered. We don’t have to correct much.

We’ve brought in a couple of staff members since implementing the software, and they’ve said that the software is wonderful. This kind of feedback reinforces our belief that this was a good investment.

They didn’t just build what we were asking for, but actually took the time to understand the workflows and culture within our business. They consistently listened and asked questions. In the end, they built what we needed, not necessarily what we thought we wanted.

When the stay-at-home orders began in March 2020, we were able to continue without dropping a beat because we had all of this infrastructure and it was all in the cloud. All our reps could use the software from home.

How did Orases perform from a project management standpoint?

Orases was very responsive. In addition to my project manager, there were two other people I could contact when I had questions. I always had someone I could go to.

Their communication was very strong, and they used Redmine and Basecamp to provide transparency. We met every week, so I always had a handle on what was going on within the project. As a result, I was able to provide updates to our principals.

At the beginning of the project, they provided a sprint schedule, and they hit all the deliverables within time and budget. Whenever we hit a bump in the road, we discussed it, figured out the best course of action, and solved the problem.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Orases was wonderful to work with. They were a good fit for us culturally and were very supportive. We had around 170 employees who’d never gone through custom software development before, so there was a learning curve. Orases helped us throughout the project to ensure the process went smoothly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Given the parameters of the project, they really pulled off a great project. We’ve been really happy.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions and have discussions. Orases fit with our company culture and got to know our internal processes, so they understood why we asked for certain things. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the VP of philanthropy for the NFL, as well as the Executive Director of the NFL Foundation which is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm of the NFL that focuses on charitable giving. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Orases?

We offer grant programs to current and former NFL players and our NFL club foundations. We also work with other national nonprofit organizations and we get thousands of applications each year. 

We were initially running a paper process for those applications, so we purchased some software that had an existing grant management system. It didn’t meet our needs, so we hired Orases to build something that could meet our needs.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Orases created an online grant application management system. There is a communications thread within it that allows us to go back and forth with applicants regarding any missing information or if they need to answer questions. It’s in the cloud.

They created different grant applications for us based on our needs and based on each of the different grant programs. They also built a grant report application that allows us to track exactly how each of these nonprofit organizations was utilizing the grant. 

There is a backend that allows the application to talk with our finance department’s PeopleSoft modules. We're able to process checks instead of manually submitting each and every one through an electronic gateway. On top of that, they built a reporting system that holds various grant reports that we can present to our board, clubs, and players.

What is the team composition?

We talk to three teammates regularly, including project managers.

How did you come to work with Orases?

We were working with a very large nonprofit organization that was working with Orases and another firm. We talked to that firm about how we could improve or efficiency with grantmaking, and they recommend Orases. We have an in-house IT department, but at the time, they couldn’t handle this aspect of our business.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $1 million. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Before the NFL Foundation, we had two separate nonprofits that we wound up merging, and they did work for that. Orases began doing work for the NFL Foundation beginning in 2011. 

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

The quality is great, and it’s made our staff’s job easier. The system has reduced the number of personnel needed to process grants. It allowed us to create more of a synergy between our applicants and our staff. 

It's also helped to streamline the overall business process. The integration with the enterprise accounting system has been incredibly helpful. We’ve been pleased with their work. We also survey our grantees, and we’ve always received positive feedback.

How did Orases perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is excellent. They’re always on top of everything and having dedicated project managers is helpful. If we need something done, the team moves quickly to make it happen. We talk to them at least every other day. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Orases is really in tune with what the NFL Foundation does. They understand what we’re trying to do and what our pain points are. Not every company takes the time to understand that, so it’s been tremendously helpful. 

When we’re launching something new within the application management system, we communicate regularly. The team has been great at keeping us up to date on new technologies and advancements. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take the time to sit down with Orases and explain your business and what you do on a daily basis so that the team can take that into consideration when coming up with a solution.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a $13M trade association with a staff size of 30. My position is Vice President of Finance and Administration.

What challenge were you trying to address with Orases?

The software and hardware that we used for one of our business units were very outdated. I don’t believe they were supported anymore, so we were running a risk for quite some time. Also, the system was not PCI-compliant, and it was one of our goals across the organization.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Orases evaluated the old software on a project basis. They conducted interviews with all of our team members who worked on the old system. They looked into the old system's functionality to determine whether they could build a new one, and they ultimately decided that they could.

Then, Orases started writing the functional requirements document, with assistance from our team members. That document grew and became a basis for their development. At that time, they estimated the expenses and started developing the software for us. They led everything, from the beginning to launch. Following the launch, many tweaks needed to be done, as the software is quite complex. We are hoping to be finishing these bug fixes soon and move on to the support-only engagement.

What is the team composition?

Laura (Digital Project Manager) is the lead person on our project, and she’s amazing. I believe she works with a few programmers. At the beginning, there were probably more people, but recently, I’ve just been working with Laura and one of the programmers.

How did you come to work with Orases?

We did our due diligence. We worked with the IT company (that served as our CTO) to create the business case for the transition and identify the right vendor. Orases was one of the recommendations. After multiple interviews and meetings, we hired them to do this job.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $300,000 with Orases directly. There have been some additional expenses, such as integrating our accounting software or bringing on other consultants.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in April 2018, and it’s ongoing.

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

We’re not fully PCI-compliant yet, but we’re on that path. Also, the system that Orases developed is a cloud- rather than server-based, so it’s easier to access. It’s also supposed to be much more efficient.

The original functional document didn’t cover everything needed, so we continued adding to it. The functionality is quite complex, so it was difficult to capture everything at the start for both our internal team and Orases. There were delays and additional expenses related to these additions. We wanted to complete the project in the shortest amount of time and for the lowest investment. We spent much more time and money that was originally assumed. However, I’ve never had any doubt regarding Orases' integrity, as they have always been very upfront with me about the hours. Laura frequently updated me on the hours, and when we’re getting close to using up all the hours of a given task or month. 

I have nothing but good things to say. Throughout the entire process, I felt like we were in this together.

How did Orases perform from a project management standpoint?

The main thing that wasn’t great was the timing. We planned for this project to take about 18 months. We’re almost at 30 months at this point. I realize that these types of projects tend to go over. We are close to doubling the time, mainly due to the functionality added after the start of the project. 

Other than issues with timing (that were partially caused by our team), Orases has done a wonderful job with project management. I had to manage the change process, as many of our team members were used to the old ways and a bit resistant to change. Laura stepped in and kept helping me with that, throughout the entire process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very organized, and they don’t waste time. I know they have other clients besides us, but whenever we work together, I feel like we are their focus.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The process of documenting the functionality of the software could be improved. Due to the functionality assessment that was not comprehensive enough, we doubled the cost of the project. Both teams were involved in capturing the functionality, and somehow - too many items were missed.

Any advice for potential customers?

If I were to recommend anything to other companies, I’d suggest a very due diligent approach at the onset of the project. Have as much as possible written into the document, so there are no surprises later.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior associate director of technology at the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).

What challenge were you trying to address with Orases?

We had a custom-built database, and we’d been using the same coding company for about 16 years. The database was very complex and the lifeblood of our association, but the company we partnered with went private and could no longer work with us. 

We had to quickly find another company to take over that coding and get into the met of all of our 16 years of updates.

What was the scope of their involvement?

At the beginning, Orases was basically just taking over the SQL database running on .NET. We have a few public-facing websites, as well as our HMS with a lot of complicated business rules. They took that over and triaged it before moving on to the next steps, such as moving us over to AWS. 

One of the key things we did was work on the database to make it more secure, setting up Amazon cognito for our member accounts. That process involved around 70 horus of meetings with all the different staff at the office finding out what worked and didn’t work about our current systems. Orases took down all those requirements to build a new association management database with a new frontend for our members.

We also worked with them to scope out a multi-year project in which they would take all of these old technologies and rewrite them. They would build us a brand new database and new websites, all of which would take about three years.

What is the team composition?

We currently work with about five people from their team, including Nick (President). 

How did you come to work with Orases?

We looked around at a lot of different places. We met with Orases and had them vetted by our previous vendor, and afterwards, we were confident they were the best partner for us. Nick in particular won over our executive committee with his excellent, innovative ideas. 

How much have you invested with them?

We have a $3,000,000 budget for the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2018, and the migration was completed by April 2019, but we’re still working together.

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

We were very concerned about the hosting transition, but it went extremely smoothly. We were only down for about two hours, thanks to the planning and preparedness from the Orases team. Similarly, when we had our 16,000 members move to the new Amazon accounts, we only got about a dozen support emails because the process was so seamless. 

The team is smart, and they ask the right questions. Within one year, Orases has the same level of knowledge of our database as our previous vendor did after 16. It’s amazing how quickly they picked it up.

How did Orases perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a dedicated project manager who meets with us twice a week and is only a phone call or email away at all times. Orases also provided us with a secondary project manager, who handles anything that falls through the cracks. We use Basecamp and Redmine to track tickets.

We have dedicated coders and a dedicated UX specialist from their team as well, so it really feels to us like we’re as important to them as a really large company would be. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their coding team and UX developers are better than anyone else we interviewed. Their breadth of knowledge is amazing. With their leadership, they’re always looking at the horizon and they know what the best practices are. They have a kind of experience we’d never seen in other organizations before.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think they could give a little more feedback when things are heading towards the top end of the budget. They’ve gotten better about it, but maybe if they could let us know when we’re approaching 70% of the budget. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know up front what you want your results to be — your requirements need to be in place from the start. Also, make sure you have buy in from your staff and executive committee or board. 

The best thing you can do with Orases is have Nick come in and talk with your senior-level staff. Once they hear from him and about the organization he created, their work, their culture, and all of that, they’ll definitely go with the team.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a veterinary tech startup.

What challenge were you trying to address with Orases?

Orases has developed our platform as a service (PaaS) solution for vets.

What was the scope of their involvement? 

We’re working on a PaaS solution that allows veterinary professionals to connect with general practice vets for consultations. Orases developed the entire platform based on our needs.

What is the team composition? 

For the bulk of the project, we’ve worked with three people, but the total number of contacts is closer to 5–7.

How did you come to work with Orases?

We originally put out an RFP to see what developers would quote us, but we didn’t feel like we would get the customer service that we were looking for. From there, we started searching for companies that were more local, including Orases.

Upon meeting with one of their executive members, we felt that they would offer the client attention that we were looking for. They gave us the sense that they would hear and meet our needs, so we went with them.

How much have you invested with them?

It’s been about $400,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked with them since January 2019. 

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

While there are already similar products to ours on the market, Orases has helped us develop a platform that's better, faster, and more efficient. We’ve thoroughly tested the product before going live, and they're great at resolving bugs in a timely manner. Since then, we haven’t seen too many issues, which speaks to that QA process.

How did Orases perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s been a great experience working with them. The team is responsive, communicative, and available when we need them. They always let us know well in advance if they’re going to be out of the office and provide a clear point of contact.

Our project manager has really come up to speed to support the project. If we ask for a new feature, they ensure that we stay within reason, letting us know how much something will set us before suggesting more cost-effective solutions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Even though I know they have multiple projects going on for other clients, we never feel like we’re just one of many to them. They treat us as if we’re a top priority. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Initially, there were a few misunderstandings around what we were looking for. That might have been because our project manager was slightly greener than expected, but that person learned very quickly. They’re now one of our strongest advocates to make sure things stay on track and budget.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We didn’t have the clearest vision about our product and kept changing our minds on a lot of things. That can be extremely frustrating for a developer, especially if they’ve already started working in one direction.

That’s why it’s important to know your own product as much as possible before approaching a development house. Orases can ask you questions to clarify your ideas, but you need to have that understanding.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a co-founder and principal of Leadership Techniques, LLC. We provide leadership and project management training and consulting to a wide variety of clients.

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

Our Wordpress site was built over 10 years ago and was outdated so we needed to build a new site to make it more secure.

How did you select Orases and what were the deciding factors?

We had done work with Orases in the past and know that they provide high quality products that we can count on.

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

We kept the original design, and discussed that the ecommerce portion was most critical so Orases researched and found the best solution for our needs.

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

1 - Wordpress developer

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

We just launched the site yesterday, but already find it is much "cleaner" and easier to navigate.

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

The developer was extremely accommodating to our schedule and very responsive. I set up a shared Google Doc so we could share updates and changes along the way, and that worked very well.

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

They are very professional and extremely responsive.

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

No areas of improvement - it was all very positive.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Ruppert Landscape is a growing commercial maintenance and landscape construction company. Director of IT.

For what projects/services did your company hire Orases?

Orases saved the day for us. We have a custom application that is used for core business operations and we were for all intents and purposes in a down situation. Orases is a top notch company that we have known about for a long time. We hoped they could understand our application and help us get it back on line.

What were your goals for this project?

We had to restore services which had been down or lagging for weeks. Need to restore our critical business function.

How did you select this vendor?

Nick had spent several years keeping in touch with us and just letting us know about opportunities and technology we should look at. He and the whole Orases team even hosted our IT team for our annual planning meeting. All of this was gratis and we were not a customer at the time.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The Orases project manager heard our problem and dedicated a high level database expert to our issue. He personally delayed his vacation in order to help us.

What was the team composition?

The Orases team was participating over the phone - which is not their normal course of business. They accommodated us because of our down situation - both in response time and meeting dynamics. Because of this we were not aware of the full team assigned to our project.

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

After the Orases team heard our issue and asked some deeper dive questions they had their database expert speak directly with our lead programmer - and in the course of less than 2 hours the fix to our problem had been tested and put into production.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Very quick emergency project - Results would say extremely effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their flexibility to accommodate the customer and their expertise. We would not have been able to solve our issue on our own.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None were apparent in this transaction. I have nothing but positive things to say about this company.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Here at RxGenomix, we offer a personalized pharmacy care experience that puts people on the path to optimal health. It is a comprehensive, highly scalable approach to personalized medicine that delivers actionable insights and real financial value to our customers.

What challenge were you trying to address with Orases?

We hired Orases to address the business challenge of creating a technology interface that enables patients, providers, and pharmacists to work cohesively within one platform to facilitate the feedback loop to patients in need.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Orases built a host of different functions for us on this platform, including lab ordering mechanisms all the way from ideation to report creation and delivery, and a communication bridge between patients and pharmacists in order to facilitate ordering and understanding tests and their results.

That kind of technology did not exist in the manner and strategy that we were trying to bring to the marketplace, so when we started working with Orases, they started by coming to the table and helping us brainstorm about ways to translate our requirements into something tangible that people would want to use.

Their role was primarily development. We brought some designers to the table that have helped with the UI/UX, but they handled the actual development work and asked questions and provided feedback as we went along.

What is the team composition?

We worked at any given point with around 2–3 full-time members of their team. Our two main points of contact were Larisa (Project Manager) and Mike (), but their CEO also made himself readily available to help with the project as well.

How did you come to work with Orases?

Our Chief Security Officer had an existing relationship with their team, and he was able to speak to them about what we were looking to accomplish and the capabilities they would be able to bring to bear on the project, and from there we decided that they were a good fit.

What is the status of this engagement?

The program began in March 2019, and we launched the first iteration in late November, but we are continuing to work with their team to add new features and provide better service to existing and future customers.

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

We don’t have specific KPIs built to track or report on their progress, but as far as overall objectives, they have provided an incredible amount of value to us, not only in getting our product off the ground but also in continuing to clean up and enhance some of the original features and infrastructure.

How did Orases perform from a project management standpoint?

If I were to rate them more generally on things like turnaround time, responsiveness, or project transparency, I would have nothing but positive things to say. They make themselves available through all forms of communication, whether that was voicemail, text message, or email, and we speak to them close to 4–5 times a week.

I’ve been a project manager myself, and I know that I pale in comparison to Larisa. She is highly capable, and her leadership has been paramount in our success. I would love to work with her in any capacity because it was always clear that from the top down, they truly care about the customer experience.

What did you find most impressive about them?

One of their best assets is their ability to listen and understand the customer at a high level, and then to be able to translate those requirements into technical avenues for delivering exactly what you asked for if not something even better. They have the personality and the skillset to handle customer-facing needs and the technical skills to be successful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Our project is certainly a lot to tackle, so I think one thing they could maybe make progress on is in adding resources to their team. However, that hasn’t caused us any problems so far, and we’ve been able to talk openly with them about the possibility.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I think transparency in communication is critical to a development project like this. Even if you can’t perfectly articulate your business needs, just getting things out verbally so they can see where your head is at and help you work towards a solution is incredibly important.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company is Leadership Techniques LLC. We’re a two-person company that’s been around for ten years. My partner and I are the co-founders and principals. We provide project management and leadership training & consulting.

What challenge were you trying to address with Orases?

We had an existing relationship with Orases. They built our first website, but we decided to refresh the website to update the look, technology, and security.

What was the scope of their involvement?

For the website upgrade, their team updated the design of our WordPress site, focusing on a more modern look. They also updated some of the website’s features, graphics, and functionalities. The team at Orases also implemented third-party connections like our payment and registration system. Along with performing QA testing, their team also trained us on how to work the WordPress platform so that we can put in content ourselves. The website is now being prepared for SEO.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is Javier (Support Technician, Orases).

How did you come to work with Orases?

We chose them because of a personal recommendation.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $15,000–$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Orases started in 2010.

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

Their team is still providing ongoing web support. Since we’re still transitioning, we don’t have detailed analytics yet, but they’re excellent to work with. Orases’ customer service approach is outstanding.

The meeting we had the other day with Javier was excellent. Their office has a beautiful conference room, and all of the technology is set up and ready to go. They answered all of my partner’s questions.

How did Orases perform from a project management standpoint?

Since my partner and I are project managers, we were pretty impressed with their system. Javier gives us an estimate every couple of weeks. The site ended up being ready a few days early, allowing us to get in there when we expected to. Their ability to meet their estimated dates was right on target.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a solutions company that is full of experts in their field. All we knew is that we needed a website for people to register. Orases gave us all of the possibilities for a website that will bring us business. In terms of their technical expertise, the team at Orases brings a lot to the table. They bring ideas that we can apply to improve our business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing they can improve. They’re great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open to their ideas. They’re experts in their field. It is at the point where everyone knows what a website is, and everybody can use a website, but not everyone has the capabilities to create one. This is their team’s area of expertise.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Disability Insurance Quotes. We fulfill disability insurance sales for insurance agents as well as consumers. Most of our business takes place online.

What challenge were you trying to address with Orases?

Our website is hosted on Adobe ColdFusion, and hasn’t been structurally updated in over 20 years. There have been some recent changes to compliance laws in our industry regarding security, and it became clear that ColdFusion wouldn’t be able to support the new features we would need to implement.

We began searching for a development team that could help migrate our website onto a different server.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project has just begun, so the Orases team is currently focused on laying the groundwork and programming databases.

However, the team has implemented an instant disability insurance quote tool on our website that’s being used now. 

What is the team composition?

We work with a team of about five developers. About once a month, I meet with Nick (President, Orases).

How did you come to work with Orases?

I came across Orases on Clutch while searching for developers. I called Nick and we connected very well, so we decided to partner.

How much have you invested with them?

The project will cost about $800,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in July 2019 and is ongoing.

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

Since we’re so early along in the project timeline, we don’t have any specific deliverables other than the instant quote tool, which we’re extremely impressed with. It’s a really unique feature, and we’re one of the only firms to offer it. 

As far as the progress they’re making at the moment, we’re very impressed with the work the team has been producing. I rarely have to make corrections. 

It's clear the team understands not just the current system they’re building, but also the one they’re working to correct.

How did Orases perform from a project management standpoint?

Orases has blown my mind so far. The team is extremely particular and detailed. As someone who isn’t very detail-oriented, their ability to manage me shows how good they are at what they do. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Orases has a unique ability to give our company exactly what we need, rather than trying to fit their solutions to us. We really appreciate that. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I can think of.