Oxford Global Resources

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Videojet Technologies is a company that makes industrial marking products like printers, laser markers, and other types of technology that mark information on bottles, cans, boxes, and the like. My team does software development on embedded devices and cloud applications that support our marking products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Oxford Global Resources?

We were looking for very specific skillsets that could enable us to develop some of our applications. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Oxford went through their network of contractors to find people that could fill our needs. They were able to do so within 3–4 weeks of us providing a very draft-level statement of work. We outlined what we wanted to be done, what protocols we wanted to be implemented, and which platforms we were looking to use, and their team took that and went to do their own research. Once they got some hits on that, they pre-screened some candidates and passed their resumes to us for further assessment.

We’ve worked with the team 2–3 times now on different short-term projects. The first time we engaged Oxford, we only needed one person who could work with us for three weeks. The second time, we asked Oxford to find us a contractor who could engage with us for 12 months. Our most recent project involved looking for two people who could be with us for seven months. 

How did you come to work with Oxford Global Resources?

I just did a Google search for consultants and saw them in the results. I talked to one of their recruitment managers who happened to be based in Madison, Wisconsin. We decided to take them up since they were able to immediately find a person who could work with us on site. All we had to do was give them access to the building and show them the lab, and they were up and running. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $150,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first worked with Oxford in August 2019, and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Oxford was able to find multiple skilled candidates for us within our set timeframe. We weren't very knowledgeable on the things that we were looking for in a candidate, but their team knew enough about niche development to ask the right questions. They did a good job of pre-screening the resumes before forwarding them to us, which resulted in us not having to kick a lot of people out. The only reason we rejected anyone was due to availability issues. 

Apart from helping us fill our skillset gaps, they were also able to train contractors and take up on tasks that we didn’t have the bandwidth to do.

How did Oxford Global Resources perform from a project management standpoint?

We don’t have a strict project management structure in place since we only ask Oxford to find us candidates. Eighty percent of the time, though, their team can address our questions around the timeframe and estimates. 

Their team is made of very helpful people. On the occasion that we’re having a problem with a certain contractor, they’ll help us move forward and continue to try and find another suitable candidate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of their work is very good. We struggle to find people who know embedded programming, but Oxford has the ability to dig deep and find people with niche skill sets. They’re upfront with us if they think that finding a certain skill set will be difficult, too, and it is through that practice that we are able to set our expectations properly. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think there’s anything they can improve. Any issues we’ve encountered have only ever been about financials and getting them through the vendor approval process, which has nothing to do with their performance as a team. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You’ll only waste your time if you tell them that you need a good engineer because that’s too broad and because you're sure to get that anyway. Be detailed as you can be with your requirements because Oxford, if asked, can find people with 20–25 years of experience. Outline what you want in a candidate in terms of experience with certain operating systems, if you can.