Pento

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a senior expert at a financial services company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Pento?

We hired them to develop a tool that allowed us to provide training on topics related to machine learning.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were responsible for training, machine learning, and business intelligence visualization using Python.

We had a kick-off workshop that focused on machine learning and identifying problems related to our business.

After that, we had a couple of sessions on specific topics related to machine learning, such as using Azure services for the development of machine learning tools, using Python language for machine learning, among others.

What is the team composition?

We started working with four people. The workshops were managed by two people and two more focused on the development. 

How did you come to work with  Pento?

We evaluated 3–4 companies. They're a young company that has great flexibility and a focus on the technologies we needed. 

How much have you invested in them?

We spent between $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them at the end of February 2020, and they finished in September 2020. Although, they continue providing us support services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their training services provided us with an added value that goes beyond the product we developed. They also allowed us to train our team and provide them with important skills for future projects.

As for the development itself, it has been very well received, it automates processes that were manual before, making processes more efficient and saving time. 

How did  Pento perform from a project management standpoint?

We have our own project management tools, and they were able to adapt to them very well. They were very flexible and managed everything well. 

They were also very flexible in the development, we had certain ideas but made some changes and improvements on the process so our original idea was improved both by our adjustments and their ideas.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their flexibility, dedication, and ideas they brought to the table were key for the end results. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could be more specific on the roadmap and timelines of the project. We started without knowing the exact deadlines and we had to ask them for their plans. They responded well, but it could have been nice to have the planning clear from the beginning.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP of Data Science of (a/an) Advertising & marketing

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company is a data analytics and intelligence platform for sales and marketing professionals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Pento to accomplish?

• Develop a predictive model and associated infrastructure for early stage marketing account behavior prediction.

SOLUTION

How did you find Pento?

Referral

Why did you select Pento over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing first our budget

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Pento acted as a contractor to enable us to develop a proof of concept predictive model for forecasting favorable account behaviors during early stage engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Development of POC model
• Incorporation of customer feedback and iterative development

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Pento was a good partner when it came to managing their deliverables for the project. Communication was sometimes delayed due to geographic differences but overall they were responsive.

What was your primary form of communication with Pento?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Smart people and good customer service

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

Rigor of methodology development and demonstration of improved performance.