Pieoneers

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Partnerships Director of Embedding Project

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We help companies embed sustainability into their operations and decision-making.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Improve website performance for a smoother user experience.
• Implement a goals database integrating seamlessly with Tableau.
• Revamp the website backend by moving away from the legacy application and building a new web application powered by Contentful, GastbyJS and Typescript.
• Implement mobile interface functionality for the new application.
• Develop a project architecture to improve navigation and resource accessibility.

SOLUTION

How did you find Pieoneers?

Online Search

Why did you select Pieoneers over others?

Great culture fit

How many teammates from Pieoneers were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Pieoneers significantly reduced our website's loading times—by 50% to 90%—through performance optimization techniques. They helped restructure our project architecture, enhancing scalability to accommodate the 10-fold increase in our informational resource offerings. 

Furthermore, Pieoneers implemented a robust goals database integrated with Tableau, utilizing their expertise in React, Node.js, and Python. Conducted an in-depth, on-site workshop to unpack our needs, understand user behaviours, and brainstorm solutions. Devised a flowchart of our legacy application as a roadmap for the new architecture. 

Developed and tested the new web and mobile interface, ensuring it met our requirement for comprehensive resource accessibility across devices. Implemented the goals database, utilizing React and Node.js, and integrated it with Tableau, a critical tool for our embedding team. Ongoing performance tuning, user-experience refinements, and feature additions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Pieoneers significantly reduced our website's loading times—by 50% to 90%—through performance optimization techniques. They helped restructure our project architecture, enhancing scalability to accommodate the 10-fold increase in our informational resource offerings. Furthermore, Pieoneers implemented a robust goals database integrated with Tableau, utilizing their expertise in React, Node.js, and Python.

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

Pieoneers leveraged agile methodologies, accompanied by real-time design collaboration through Figma. Their proactive approach meant they could anticipate our needs as the project evolved, making the process efficient. Communication was seamless, facilitated by Basecamp for daily updates and Google Meet for more in-depth weekly discussions.

What was your primary form of communication with Pieoneers?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

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

What stood out with Pieoneers was their initiative to be more than a service provider. They were a strategic ally, foreseeing roadblocks and offering solutions before issues could escalate. Their recommendations were insightful, giving us fresh perspectives on prioritizing and achieving our objectives more effectively.

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

The initial onboarding was excellent but had room for minor improvements. However, given the immense benefit we gained from the on-site workshop where they helped us grapple with our tech challenges, this is but a small blip on an otherwise impressive radar.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the former Advisor markets and investors of Jevitty Life Science Corp

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Jevitty aims to revolutionize personal healthcare by offering advanced DEXA medical imaging services, thereby providing individuals with critical insights into their overall health and wellness.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Development of the Jevitty App: Using Swift, Kotlin, Python, Django, and Google Cloud, the app is user-friendly and secure.
• Integration with Technicians Backend: A robust API integrated with the technician backend to streamline patient data, image, and report management.
• Brand Creation: Pieoneers helped create a brand that embodies trust, innovation, and health and longevity.

SOLUTION

How did you find Pieoneers?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Pieoneers over others?

• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Pieoneers were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

I am Tim Wallace, the advisor and guiding force behind the initial growth and success of the Jevitty App. In the first two years of the project, we wanted to deliver a new app that would change how people manage their health and fitness data and integrate technology and innovation into their wellness journey. We want the Jevitty App to revolutionize healthcare by connecting medical experts and health-conscious consumers. 

Our goals were to create a user-centric app with elegant design and cutting-edge data encryption while building a powerful and trustworthy brand. We partnered with Pieoneers, a company known for their technological prowess and data-driven solution offering. In our engagement, their thorough understanding of our mission and industry landscape was crucial. For the Jevitty App to successfully debut and get continued enhancements, our collaboration with Pieoneers covered a number of critical areas: 

• React Native pilot project: Pieoneers assisted us in launching a React Native pilot project prior to completely committing to native development. This first stage offered priceless insights that shaped the project's later phases. The team conducted a thorough UX assessment and redesign to make sure the application was not only functional but also user-friendly. Our users have praised the user-friendly interface that has been produced. 
• Native Mobile App Development: Pieoneers developed native mobile apps using Swift for iOS and Kotlin for Android that provided users with a better user experience, building on the knowledge gained from the pilot and the revised UX. 
• Integration of the technician backend: A sophisticated API was painstakingly created to link the mobile app and the technician admin platform. Medical imaging, diagnostic reports, and patient data management have all been made simpler by this integration. 

Pieoneers had a big impact on the development of the Jevitty brand. They assisted in encapsulating our key principles of trust, innovation, health, and longevity through imaginative design work, which included the logo, colour schemes, and typography. Each of these elements helped to create an all-encompassing solution that well above our initial goals, demonstrating Pieoneers' value as a companion on our journey.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• User Engagement: Since the redesigned Jevitty App was released, there has been a 35% increase in user engagement, demonstrating that users have welcomed the changes to the user experience. 
• Acquisition of New Customers: Within the first three months after introduction, there was a 25% increase in new customer sign-ups because of the intuitive design and improved functionalities. 
• Efficiency of Technicians: The admin platform for technicians has cut the time spent handling patient data by 40% on average, freeing up our medical personnel to devote greater attention to patient care. 
• Customer Retention: Due to patients' increased ability to manage their appointments and health information, the integrated approach between the technician backend and the mobile app has increased customer retention rates by 20%

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

Agile project management was used by Pieoneers, which encouraged openness and adaptability throughout the project. We utilized Jira to manage any issues that came up, measure progress, and have regular touchpoints via Google Meet. This method made it simple to maintain agreement on the objectives and timetables, and it permitted swift pivots when necessary. They delivered milestones on schedule and carefully followed the timelines we had established. 

When delays were unavoidable, which happened infrequently, they communicated proactively to manage expectations, offering justifications and revised timetables. I was especially pleased with how quickly they responded to our particular demands. 

They were quick to grasp and carry out our demands, always keeping in mind the objectives of our project, whether it was a small adjustment in design or a significant change in functionality. Overall, their project management focused on creating a collaborative and flexible atmosphere as well as keeping the project on track, which was crucial to its success.

What was your primary form of communication with Pieoneers?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

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

Pieoneers' relentless dedication to understanding our vision and creating a solution that resonated with healthcare professionals and end-users impressed me. Their inventiveness and dedication to our cause were admirable.

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

The Pieoneers experience was so smooth that it's hard to see places for improvement. They fully understood our values and mission and smoothly integrated with our team. Minor updates were delayed, but that's normal for a project of this size and ingenuity. Honestly, we were happy, and these minor issues were merely wrinkles in a great cooperation.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on July 4, 2022

Jerry Kroll
CEO, Jevitty Life Science Corp.
Healthcare
11-50 Employees
Vancouver, Canada (3707)
$200,000 to $999,999
Jun 2020 - Ongoing

Project summary
Pieoneers is developing a website and a mobile app for a human longevity company. The app monitors various health metrics, and the website holds an actuarial algorithm that provides insights about users health.

Feedback summary
Designing and developing both solutions, Pieoneers has collaborated with medical professionals to ensure the security and accuracy of their work. They've also created branding that effectively communicates the client's goals. They are a responsive, creative, proactive partner focused on efficiency. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a company whose mission is to help people live in health and vitality beyond the age of 200 years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pieoneers?

They provide web development, mobile app development, and custom software development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nothing like what we’re putting together really exists, so we were looking for a website and an app that would engage people to know where their health currently stands, what they could do to improve their health, and then provide them with a number that would simulate what their age is based on their currently health and lifestyle thanks to an actuarial algorithm. We combine science, technology, and entertainment.

They built the site with a medical package, due to the HIPPA regulations the information that we store has to comply with. It also interacts with Google and Apple healthcare APIs. The mobile app is built for iOS and Android. Early versions were built with React Native, but the production version, which is underway right now, is built with Swift iOS and Kotlin for Android.

The main point of the mobile app is to give people a day-to-day, real-time awareness of their physical well-being, combined with an actuarial analysis of their lifestyle. There are many integrations, including a body scanning technology that users leverage when they sign up to learn metrics about their body including composition, bone density, and more. On the website, there’s a deep dive into our company, including investors section and our investment portfolio.

They’re also going to be providing cybersecurity moving forward and marketing as we roll out the app. Now, in the beta stage, we have several hundreds of users, and we’re expecting hundreds of thousands of users to sign-on after launch.

They’re helping our marketing team with our products and suggestions that might have an influence or be a good template for us to follow as we approach people with this unique and informative product.

I forsee an ongoing relationship with Pieoneers.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with all manner of people — around 20 in total regarding branding, design, illustration, graphics, web and mobile interfaces, and development.

How did you come to work with Pieoneers?

I’ve started many companies before and became connected to a venture development group who was interested in human longevity, as I am. They knew of Pieoneers and it took off from there.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $400,000–$500,000 CAD (approximately $318,000–$397,000 USD), and the projected budget is around $1.5 million CAD (approximately 1.2 million USD).  

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since June 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There is ample engagement among beta users according to tracking during beta testing, and they seem to be resonating with the data we provide: how many steps they’re taking, what they’re eating, etc. The message I’m trying to bring across is clearly and crisply being communicated to them. After these past two years of the pandemic, people are very interested in the app.

I don’t have any complaints about Pieoneers work, and especially under the circumstances of the past two years. In hindsight, I’m wondering if meeting in-person and then transitioning to Zoom meetings helped everybody because we had to produce things in a more streamlined fashion.

I have massive expectations that nobody can meet, but that says more about me than it does about them.

How did Pieoneers perform from a project management standpoint?

I have my own people making sure deadlines are met, but we’ve also integrated Pieoneers’ people, and there haven’t been any problems.

They’ve been available 24/7 if we have questions, comments, or suggestions. We have a tunnel of information that all new ideas get put into that pass it along to our people, Pieoneers’ people, and professional medical consultants that we retain.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In my entrepreneurial career, I’ve learned how to engage someone with something innovative and entertaining, and they were very good at listening to my thoughts. They were also good at making suggestions to improve what I saw in my mind’s eye.

My background is in motorsports, so I know what a good logo looks like. You name has to be your promise. As we’re promising longevity, our name, Jevitty, says it all, so the goal was to translate that into peoples’ consciousness through the app and through the website, as well as in our brick-and-mortar locations. Everything is tied together. They’ve been very helpful

Something else they do extremely well is that they deliver what we ask for. If we ask them what time it is, they’ll tell us the time, rather than showing us how to build a watch. They do all tasks quickly, efficiently, and elegantly. Anyone can build a rocket for $1 billion, but not everyone can build it for $10 million. In today’s age, engineers need to think more about efficiency in terms of cost and time, and Pieoneers’ do just that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only hindrance I can see is them having the necessary resources at their disposal. Coming from the level of development that takes place at Apple and Google as har as health monitoring (real time glucose monitoring, heart rate monitoring, etc.) I’m not sure that Pieoneers can do that right now.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

With Pieoneers or anyone, make sure that the subject matter is of interest to the group that you’re working with. I’ve run a lot of businesses, and I know how important it is to work for a mission rather than just for making money.

Star Ratings
Overall rating: 5
We’re friends with each other now.
Quality: 5
Cost: 5
Schedule: 5
Willing to refer: 5
I’d recommend them without hesitation. In fact, I’d be surprised if someone had a substandard engagement with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Research Associate/Co-Director of

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Higher-education in British Columbia and around the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Improve User Experience: Enhance the interface's responsiveness and performance, making data more accessible.
• Update Outdated Technologies: Replace old technologies to benefit from modern frameworks and libraries.
• Enhance System Performance: Use Hasura GraphQL to increase load times and responsiveness.
• Introduce Continuous Integration: Automate testing and deployment for efficient development operations.
• Prepare for Future Development: Strategically upgrade existing components and introduce scalable technologies for future growth.

SOLUTION

How did you find Pieoneers?

Online Search

Why did you select Pieoneers over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Pieoneers were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The work was vast and multifaceted, including: 

• Implementing Product Updates: Regular enhancements and updates to existing features were made to keep the platform current.
• Extracting Sections: Some parts, such as the Browse section, were extracted from the core application for more efficient management.
• Introducing Hasura GraphQL: This was implemented to improve database performance and responsiveness.
• Restructuring Database Schema: The database was meticulously reorganized to support enhanced functionality and future scalability.
• Migrating to React Rendering: This allowed for a more dynamic and interactive user interface.
• Implementing ElasticSearch: For improving search functionality across the platform.
• Planning Future Technological Enhancements: A strategic roadmap was crafted to guide future technological improvements, ensuring the platform remains adaptable and progressive.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Number of contributions from our users doubled 
• Pageload times reduced by 50% 
• Scope of product was increased by 25% with new features

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

Pieoneers' collaboration was marked by prompt and open communication. Regular meetings to hash out goals and clear explanations tailored to our unique needs made the management effective. We utilized Jira as a shared task planning space, which further streamlined the project management process.

What was your primary form of communication with Pieoneers?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their ability to adapt and find innovative yet proven solutions suited to our academic nature. Technical improvements, user interface and branding enhancements were exemplary. The integration of Hasura GraphQL and the shift to React apps was handled seamlessly, showing their prowess in modern technology.

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

Our collaboration with Pieoneers exemplifies a productive partnership, ensuring that our goals remain aligned even during complex phases of the project. In the first half of the project, the necessity for extensive architectural improvements initially led to some anxiety about potential delays in new feature delivery. 

Pieoneers expertly communicated the importance of these upgrades, assuaging concerns and demonstrating how they were integral to future development and system stability. Although we caught up with the plan by the midpoint, more upfront clarity on the timeline impact could have further eased early concerns. Their ability to guide us through this challenge was commendable and is a testament to their professionalism and expertise.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Clinical Director of Bodycomp Imaging Inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

I am Harmun Sehmby, the Head Technician at Jevitty Scan by Bodycomp Imaging. We specialize in DEXA medical imaging to offer insights into an individual's health and fitness.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Development of technicican admin platform
• Improve website
• Integration with the mobile app
• Update branding

SOLUTION

How did you find Pieoneers?

Referral

Why did you select Pieoneers over others?

• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Pieoneers were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Pieoneers worked on:

• Technician Admin Platform Development: Created using Python, Django, Postgres, Google Cloud, and UIKit. It handles patient information, integrates with the Jevitty app, and improves daily workflow.
• Integration with Jevitty App via API: A comprehensive API was created to link the platform with the Jevitty app, including patient data, images, and reports.
• Website Update: Redesigned with a mobile-first approach, user-friendly content editing, and updated branding.
• Rebranding: Helped design a new logo, selecting fonts, and establishing a consistent colour palette.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We worked with a team of seven from Pieoneers, including a project manager, three software developers, a UX-UI designer, a QA specialist, and a systems architect. The project resulted in a significant improvement in our daily workflow. The platform is intuitive and efficient, and our website now reflects our brand identity beautifully.

The integration with the Jevitty app has been seamless, creating a more cohesive experience for our clients. I appreciate the quality of their deliverables and the professionalism they demonstrated.

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

Pieoneers followed an agile project management style. We had regular meetings, and they used tools like Slack and Jira to keep us informed. Their communication was transparent, and they adhered to timelines effectively.

What was your primary form of communication with Pieoneers?

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

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

What I found most impressive about Pieoneers was their dedication to understanding our unique needs and their ability to translate that into a tailor-made solution. Their creativity, technical proficiency, and ability to learn were truly commendable.

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

While overall, I am extremely satisfied with their work, there were occasional delays in receiving some minor updates. More proactive updates on these smaller elements could enhance the communication process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

RST offers superior hardware and software in Canada and is a leader in the global market for geotechnical instruments and software solutions. At RST, we strive for Innovation Safety Continuous improvement I am a Director of Engineering

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Mobile app development UX-UI design

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Our company was looking for a technologically advanced mobile development team who could support our software development needs and also assist us with our hardware integration. Our inclinometer hardware uses Bluetooth, and we needed a team who could carry out the integration as well as the complete design and development of the mobile application.

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

The mobile application is an important part of our company product offering. Our clients’ field engineers use inclinometers to monitor the lateral movements of natural slopes or embankments. The engineers work in any weather and must have an adequate interface to efficiently take measurements.

The goals for the new mobile application for our inclinometers were the following: Provide a user-friendly and efficient way to take measurements Transition from legacy Windows-based mobile devices to modern platforms. Android has the most adoption among our clients. Increase our competitive advantage by providing the highest-quality package of hardware and software for our industry and clients.

Our company was looking for a technologically advanced mobile development team who could support our software development needs and also assist us with our hardware integration. Our inclinometer hardware uses Bluetooth, and we needed a team who could carry out the integration as well as the complete design and development of the mobile application. Pieoneers proved to be a great team to work with.

They helped us develop a game plan for building our mobile applications by conducting an on-site project planning workshop in 2020, right before the pandemic took off. We started working with them because they could help us with the whole design and development cycle. They designed all screens for the iOS and Android apps. They worked with our engineers to carry out the hardware integration with the Bluetooth components.

Their UX-UI designer helped create an intuitive interface based on input from our key staff and field engineers. What we enjoy most in working with Pieoneers is thorough communication between our engineers and their engineers and the project manager, their thorough approach to user experience and interface, and the fact that they are always accessible and responsive. During the project, we faced challenges in delivering the iOS application.

The complications were related to the technical challenges in supporting the Bluetooth versions from the older generation, which stalled the project, so we had to focus on launching our software for the Android platform only. Despite the challenges associated with working through the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to launch our production-grade Android app in 2021 and release key updates in 2022. We are most satisfied that our clients’ engineers and field team love the new app.

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

Sr. Android developer Sr. iOS developer UX-UI designer Project manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our clients are organizations and companies that build and maintain critical infrastructures enabling the local and global economies. We are proud to have worked with FortisBC, The Environment Agency, the Marine Management Organization, and the Port of London Authority…… An expert in geotechnical technology, RST is a leader in instrumentation solutions for protecting and understanding high-consequence assets and the environment in Canada, the US, and worldwide.

The mobile inclinometer application that Pieoneers helped us build allows us to improve the overall efficiency of working with the inclinometer instruments. The new mobile app provides our clients with a streamlined way to take measurements, review the data, and take advantage of the up-to-date fleet of mobile devices.

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

We worked with Pieoneers for more than 2 years, starting from 2020 and till 2022. Despite the global pandemic and the resulting timeline challenges, the Pieoneers team was working hard to keep the development on track. We learned that there were hardware shipment delays because the post services were disrupted and that Pieoneers experienced an unexpected staff emergency. They kept us informed and up-to-date.

In the middle of the project, we had to decide to give up a part of our project that was time sensitive and postpone the development of our iOS mobile application. Most of our clients operate on the Android platform so we chose to focus on the latter. Despite any tech and pandemic challenges, we were able to complete the Android mobile application in 2021 successfully.

Moreover, Pieoneers helped us expand the functionality of the mobile app to work with our spiral probes and delivered a quality build in 2022. We look forward to continuing working with Pieoneers on future app updates and adding the horizontal probe functionality. The Pieoneers team was able to adjust to our preferences and communicate with our project managers efficiently. We used Basecamp and the main platform for sharing the mobile app build updates and for code review.

Earlier in the project, we used to have weekly and monthly video calls. Later in the project, we were able to focus on detailed updates shared through Basecamp. Pieoneers were able to work with our in-depth technical feedback and provide updates and new builds on time. In the future, we would like to have a work process with a closer engagement from the project manager from RST and Pieoneers engineers.

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

What stood out to me is that the application works reliably. The UI is very intuitive. Pieoneers not only helped us implement the core application but added critical new features, such as the auto-accept feature for the data collection application that was critical for our customers in Asia. The overall usability is great. I highly recommend Pieoneers to companies requiring a highly-skilled software development partner for technical product planning, intuitive interface, and mobile app development; delivering high-quality code.

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

In the future, we would like to have a work process with a closer engagement from the project manager from RST and Pieoneers engineers.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of GameSheet Inc., a sports data platform. My business partner and I are coaches and managers in minor Hockey in Ontario. My business partner was a convener for his son’s hockey league. He went to the convener’s meeting and found out all the work that a convener has to do. It involved collecting all of the semi-illegible paper score sheets from all the games scored over the week or the weekend, taking that home, and entering all the data onto an Excel spreadsheet and getting that into the league before midnight on Sunday night. He realized how much work that was for conveners. At the time, the iPad had just been invented and we wanted to digitize the whole process.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pieoneers?

When we moved from the second to the third version, we had to rebuild it. There was nothing wrong with it. It was an excellent system but it wasn’t scalable. We had landed some big contracts and were at the point where we could patch it together with duct tape but if we were really good at selling and the product was taking off, it wouldn’t be sustainable.

They had a very short window of time to build it and get it up and running. We had a tremendous amount of time pressure on them from April 2018 until the fall of 2018. We had to have a system that could handle the capacity. Then we went out and sold and signed up dozens and dozens of leagues and onboarded hundreds and hundreds of new managers, coaches, etc.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They rebuilt our platform from scratch. The whole tech stack was JavaScript, Node.js, Kubernetes, and Go. It was hosted with Google Cloud.

They also recommended that we take a look at our branding. They created all of our branding strategy, the logos, all the branding assets, the colors, and the whole schematics top to bottom. We’ve got a dashboard, an iPad app where they build the games, and then once the game is done, they upload it to the server. We have the webserver application, the admin area, and the API. They all work seamlessly together. There’s multiple applications on each.

What is the team composition?

At any given time, there was a total of 12 people. There were two designers, seven developers, the CTO, a QA engineer, and a project manager.

How did you come to work with Pieoneers?

We were quite lucky in how we ended up reaching Pieoneers. We ended up working with a group prior to Pieoneers and then the product manager who we worked with moved to Pieoneers and brought us with them as a client because he had been with us from the first phone call. It was a lucky break for us. Once we started to scale this, we needed somebody with the expertise that Pieoneers had to take it to the level we’ve taken it to.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $1.5 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2015 and there’s ongoing development.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been able to onboard 4,000 teams in the fall of 2019, showing that it’s really user-friendly. We’ve tripled our revenue year over year for the last three years. We’ve created some videos online for people to get trained. It’s intuitive to people who use it. We’re moving into the U.S. market and they are even crazier about it. We were ahead of our time.

We couldn’t be happier with their ability to deliver the technology for us and our customers. They always delivered for us.

Whoever uses our system, become raving fans because it solves so many problems and it’s so intuitive. I have thousands of testimonials from people. Most of our support calls start off with telling us it’s an incredible system and that they can’ believe how easy and intuitive it is, that it saves their volunteers tons of time, everyone loved it including the managers, the coaches, the conveners, the time keepers, the referees, and every stakeholder.

We even had a guy come on board to have another set of eyes on our system. He had been a CTO of Ticketmaster in Canada when they launched their digital app that I love. He went in and did an audit of our system and he was blown away by how clean, smooth, and intelligent all the systems work together.

Now we get probably a couple calls a week about the app from the U.S., and we have four leagues in Germany using it.

We’ve had a couple glitches. We did an update that messed something up and we had to switch it and go back to the old way or do a patch. There are possibly thousands of games over a weekend that they were able to work through problems and fix them while those games were being scored and played and uploaded. Our uptime is 99.99% for over two years with the new system.

We get compliments all the time on our branding and our logo and our colors.

I was blown away by what we got and what the value was for what we paid. It happened in such a quick timeframe.

 How did Pieoneers perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is exceptional. We’ve always felt we were their biggest client whether we were or we weren’t. It’s collaborative. Once you are dealing with a development company, you’re in a symbiotic relationship. If we struggle, they’re going to struggle; vice versa. If we’re successful, they’re successful. It’s been the latter. I couldn’t speak enough to their abilities to deliver for us especially when we needed them to deliver it. We’re in the U.S. and dealing with USA hockey and a whole different set of penalty codes, etc. We’d reach out to them last minute and ask them to have it ready and tested to be able to present in a meeting in seven days. They’d always say yes and they’d figure it out.

They had teams working almost around the clock. They did what they had to do to make sure when a puck dropped on a game on a Friday night in September, everything worked.

If there’s a problem or glitch, we hear about it immediately. I don’t think we’ve ever been down for longer than an hour. I hold them to the highest standard because we have to. We’re a fledgling company growing and you’re only as good as your ability to keep it going and making it smooth and easy. We pride ourselves on being able to get back to the clients and be there for them when they call. We’ve also seen, in this space, there’s a lot of complaints about technology companies because they don’t hear back for a week or they send an email and you can’t reach the people. We give them our phone numbers. With that, we need a company that does the same thing. When we answer the phone, we need to be able to get somebody at the other end to answer the phone and fix anything.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a genius inside their company, Andrew (CTO). He understood what we were trying to accomplish and he took it on as a personal challenge. It became personal to him. He came up with ideas, concepts, and ways to make the system work. He wanted something to work in 1/15 of a second. I was on the other side saying if it happens in a second, we can work with that. He held himself to the absolute highest standard that geniuses hold themselves to sometimes. We were the beneficiary of that type of daily, hourly, minute by minute thinking and actions to build our system.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could charge me less but we got the very best talent.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Look at all that they offer. We were going from mom and pop shop with our sales and our volumes to global, number one position. We are the number one hockey and lacrosse digital scoring system in the world. I suggest anyone make sure they look at the whole suite of services.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We help companies embed sustainability into their operations and decision making – I am the communications manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pieoneers?

Our previous web developer of ten years decided to go in a different direction, so we needed a new developer to manage all of our technology needs. We were keen to get a team of people who were local to Vancouver.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were in charge of bringing the web app up to modern standards in terms of UX and technology. Our website was on Ruby on Rails, and we weren’t sure if it would be the right choice to keep the legacy tech stack. After completing the Onboarding phase and reviewing our product needs, Pieoneers suggested that we use a new tech stack, so they implemented GatsbyJS and Contentful. It was also important to us that they were able to integrate the platform with Tableau, because a lot of our tools are built using that software.

One of the biggest challenges was recreating our interactive wheel—a major feature on the site, and navigation. The wheel has 60 different pathways that researchers and change agents can click on and explore. Each of those pathways has 1–8 resources. Pieoneers implemented the new interactive wheel and content infrastructure in modern tech stack using JavaScript, GatsbyJS, and Contentful. A large improvement for us is the addition of mobile UX and making the wheel mobile-friendly which is very important for our users.

Since we finished development, they’ve worked on ongoing tasks like adding new tools and Tableau integrations, and maintenance. They created a staging environment for us to approve new features, integrations, and pages, and then they push that to our production server once we give our approval.

What is the team composition?

I have two main points of contact but have also met other people on the team. They include the Project Manager, the UX/UI Designer, Web Developer, DevOps Engineer, and occasional support from their CTO.

How did you come to work with Pieoneers?

We wanted to work with a local team, to avoid the issue of time differences. We came up with four potential web developers in the local area. We interviewed all of them, and decided that Pieoneers would be the best fit. It was also important to us that Pieoneers is familiar with an array of data visualization tools, especially Tableau.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $120,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2019 and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

People who use and engage with the site regularly have commented on how user-friendly the site is, the navigation is intuitive and a lot better. 

How did Pieoneers perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve managed it well, and we’ve had no complaints so far. We operate out of Basecamp and if we need to make changes, it all flows through there. We really haven’t had an issue. During active development phases, we have weekly calls on Google Meet, and daily updates on Basecamp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Our team are not developers, so we weren't sure about operations in the backend or what might be the best tech stack for us going forward. It felt like Pieoneers really guided us. Based on our needs, they’ve been very honest and have been able to give us great recommendations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Maybe some of the onboarding could have been improved, but we operate seamlessly now. The onboarding workshop they did with us was great, this was the first time we got to see our system at all levels from individual screens to a flowchart. This helped us reveal issues in our content structure and define the direction for improvements. We were able to discuss the pros and cons of keeping the legacy technology stack vs moving to a modern tech stack. Pieoneers helped us understand both the limitations and the benefits and point us in the right direction.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Tell Pieoneers exactly what you need, and invest time in the beginning describing project scope, project goals, audience, etc.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder and CEO of pledgecircle, an educational startup. We will operate as a digital marketplace for the K-12 sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pieoneers?

I was seeking an organization that could act as my interim CTO. We were looking for a company to validate the platform’s viability before we invested money into actually executing it. Primarily, I was looking to verify the functionality and novelty of the computer logic of my new graphic UI. I needed assistance in confirming that my system architecture and design were truly original.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Together, we collaborated on confirming and developing a system schema and architecture. We then constructed diagrams of architecture options that could be utilized in my patented product. Since I’m also building a substantial digital marketplace, Pieoneers ensured cross-channel integration by taking into account web, mobile-web, and mobile-only functionalities.

In the last few months of our engagement, they’ve developed an extensive game plan, which culminates in a prototype of the platform. Working with GV, they developed an effective system schema and are now working on strategizing the platform’s actual development.

They demonstrated a keen insight into the various marketplace models and the role of SaaS workflow tools in today's collaborative environment. With a seamless UX/UI in mind, they collaborated to explore what toolsets and frameworks would be best for my product vision. They even assisted in my logo design.

How did you come to work with Pieoneers?

Back in 2011, I did some research on companies that offered the development of graphic user interfaces. We spent a day together, and I decided that I felt comfortable enough to move forward with them. They validated my vision and demonstrated that they had the resources to make it a reality.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent somewhere under $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2012, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve been instrumental in our growth and development. Pieoneers has demonstrated an impressive understanding of my criteria, as well as the various components of what’s needed in a digital marketplace. They seem to just get my vision, and they’ve always been one step ahead of putting together the necessary resources.

They’ve been able to address my technical questions (I approach them from a marketing background, not a tech one), and give me solutions regarding security and cloud services. They have so much knowledge of the marketplace—from the latest technologies to different toolsets and frameworks. With them, I’ll be able to launch into rapid development.

How did Pieoneers perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been excellent communicators, despite being a remote team. They almost feel like an in-house team. They’re committed, and they always perform within budget. They typically deliver what’s required of them, which makes me very happy.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their knowledge of both the marketplace and my personal vision is just outstanding.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I’d have them improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

While I want to keep them all for myself, I’d strongly recommend them. They have robust resources and can handle rapid development.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a marketing leader at Squadex, a US-based cloud consultancy. We offer expertise in DevOps, data engineering, and machine learning.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pieoneers?

We needed help with web development for some of our projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created a website from scratch for desktop and mobile users. We began with understanding and defining our target audiences with them. Our core objective was to match market expectations. That goal required research on market insights as to how US-based consultancies behave, what their core target audiences are, and how users behave on those websites.

The first goal was to build a smooth desktop version of the website. The mobile option followed that. We initially researched the project together through an iterative process. They worked on wireframes, UX, and design templates. After that, we did several design concepts that we tested with a target audience in the United States. We basically did AB testing with selected players within the industry, and then we went through to implementation.

What is the team composition?

We were in touch with several people from their team. Indirectly, there were four to five people involved. We directly collaborated with three people. There were a project manager and a marketing strategist who explored UX and user behaviors within the target audience. We also had a copywriter and a designer.

How did you come to work with Pieoneers?

We found them through Clutch. I’m originally from Europe and wanted to find a provider that culturally fit with the company

How much have you invested in them?

We spent under $100,000. I cannot recollect the exact amount.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September 2018–March 2019. We have done some website improvements since then.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We tracked the results through Google Analytics. In the six months since the launch, with a brand new website and domain, we have managed to grow from zero to 3,000 unique users per month. That correlates with what we have received through the contact form.

How did Pieoneers perform from a project management standpoint?

It was a smooth experience. They use the same tools that we do, which was a major factor in hiring them. For design, they use InVision and Figma which was very convenient for collaboration. For communication, we used Basecamp to get all the stakeholders together for that project, which was important as it is a distributed work environment. I work in Vancouver, my headquarters is located in Palo Alto, and part of my team is in Ukraine. We also used Meet or Zoom for video calls.

Sometimes working with someone in a common language makes things much easier, and in this sense, Pieoneers did a great job. They’re multilingual, so we can all work with our US stakeholders while speaking English and still work with them on a daily basis in Ukrainian.

We easily got in touch with anyone that I needed within their teams such as the designer, marketing people, or copywriter. They were very fast when it came to feedback which is also important. We tested something, provided feedback, and quickly rolled out the version that performed better. Although there were many iterations, the cycles were very short which helped us move fast.

Since the team was distributed, we have support beyond regular working hours here on the west coast. There was a 16-hour overlap between Europe and the US which is a very strong point.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think their personal touch makes them stand out from their competition. Once a company grows beyond just a studio, they try to scale their business and forget their emotional connection to the work. It is important that when a studio grows, it remains a studio by spirit.

Are there any areas they could improve?

More transparency on the technical side would be better so that we can see what happens under the hood. Admittedly, there are some differences in a project depending on whether a client wants all the details or is more hands-off, but they could definitely cater to more perspectives.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Pieoneers are a very good choice for midsized businesses because you will get flexibility, an agile approach, and improvements along the way. They will not say no. Some bigger companies that work in this space tend to provide cost estimates for every little thing they do, but when you work with a smaller studio, it is always negotiable and agile. The machine learning side is also important. Their system ensures you will get information from the app through machine learning, which leads to improvements.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a strength and conditioning coach, and I own my company. I have been the head strength and conditioning coach for Speed Skating Canada leading into the 2014 and 2018 Olympic Games.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pieoneers?

I’ve always had a passion to share my knowledge and experience with other athletes as well as people who want to find their way to better sports results, health or long life. After having worked with Pieoneers on a completely different initiative (researching to create a mind mapping software for application in the biochemistry industry), they helped me see my passion in a new light and as a solid business opportunity. With help of Pieoneers, I realized, I needed to get my name out there online. I also needed guidance in terms of creating a brand, launching an online business, this is why I wanted a website and help with social media strategies.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Pieoneers helped with a lot of things, starting from strategy to implementation. They helped me decide between launching a company brand vs a personal brand. They interviewed my clients to get real-life insights and identify my strength and present my services through the eyes of real people in the way that would be easy for them to understand and clearly address their needs. They researched competitors and showed other inspiring businesses. They created visual branding for me and helped me refine my message which was then transformed into a WordPress site.

The website is a handy tool for me to maintain my business and share the valuable content. It allows me to upload different types of content. It has a contact form so potential clients can reach me. It also syncs with my social media accounts, particularly Twitter and Instagram. Pieoneers helped me with my decision to start using my Instagram professionally to start acquiring followers and potential customers even before the site launch. They’re providing me with strategy and direction for social media, I create the content myself. They keep staying involved and share valuable advice on a regular basis.

What is the team composition?

I mainly communicate with three people, Olena (CEO, Pieoneers) who acts as a talented strategist, Shane (Project Manger, Pieoneers) who is insightful and thorough, and Aleksey (Lead Designer, Pieoneers) who was invaluable in guiding me through the branding and site design process. But there are a few additional people working on the backend, including the frontend and backend developers.

How did you come to work with Pieoneers?

I found them through a Google search. My preference was to work with someone that had a local presence near me in Canada. I looked at the projects on their website and thought they were creative and professional. I didn’t want to just choose the least expensive firm; I decided I would be better in the long term if I invested in quality.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent around $55,000 CAD (approximately $42,600 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2018, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Nothing quantitative yet because the site isn’t live yet. It's been ready to launch for a while, but I've held back because of issues on my end. I enjoy the coaching work that I do, but websites and social media aren’t my strong suit. What they’ve done is give me direction around running my business for the short and long term.

How did Pieoneers perform from a project management standpoint?

Most of our communication is through Basecamp, which makes it easy to keep everything organized. They do a really good job of keeping things on track. One of my two main contacts works in Vancouver, so we were able to meet a few times in person. Other members of the team are in Europe but there aren't any language barriers.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I haven't worked with many other companies, but they’re able to find a really good balance of collaboration and doing things on their own when I want to be hands-off.

Any advice for potential customers?

Having a clear vision always helps.