PLECCO Technologies, Inc.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Founder and CEO of Charlotte Social 360 (CS360). We are a blended shore, websites, mobile games, mobile application software developer, and digital marketing agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire PLECCO Technologies, Inc., and what were your goals?

We hired PLECCO for some eCommerce website design and development work for our client's Nigerian food catering, cooking classes, spices, and drinks sales business. The client's goal was to revamp her website aesthetically and get more traffic and sales conversions for her spices and catering business.

SOLUTION

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

We decided to use PLECCO, based on Jason and his website development teams SEO work process and website examples, design and sales conversion ideas, and commitment to excellence

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

The deliverable was to revamp the existing website aesthetically and direct potential clients to the online shopping cart to buy the spices and order cooking classes. Jason and the team used webpage screenshots to communicate effectively with the client.,

The client goals were that as they get more traffic, purchases of spices and that this traffic converts into online inquiries via the Captcha page form, and twenty more spics sales per and calls.

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

The project manager was my man contain, but there was one and sometimes two website developers on the project

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Currently, the client is on average getting 10+ new sales monthly for her spices, and one to two new catering orders the 3 months, when we started with Jason and the teams, she wasn't getting any eCommerce sales via the website; people were actually calling her, now online eCommerce shopping Sales.

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

I worked directly with Jason stoke from a project management perspective,. Jason was great about documenting the deliverables and making great suggestions about how to get t the website to convert better.

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

Plecco 's eCommerce scope of work documentation made it clear what the deliverable was, their professionalism, follow-up, value and always meet their delivery timeframes, and their e-commerce website design, and workflow experience,

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

They did an excellent job; CS360 will work with Plecco for some additional on, off-page, and technical SEO work in the future.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re an employee and sales recognition program service provider for companies that want to put in a recognition or sales award program. We put those programs together for the company, and we manage them. 

Our customers use our technology to participate in the program. Our main platform is called Reward Station, and all of our programs run on it. My team of technology developers manages all the technology updates and features. 

I'm the VP of technology development, and I manage the team doing all the software development and managing the infrastructure for our workstation platform. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PLECCO Technologies Inc.?

We had a large client that was launching a huge program. It involved a lot of customization, so we needed additional help from a development perspective and mainly on the frontend. The timeline was aggressive, and the scope was very large.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

On the frontend, our platform runs on React, while the backend includes .NET and RESTful APIs for databases and similar things. The React frontend development work was what we brought in PLECCO to help out with. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with Jason (CEO). He's done a lot of the development support for another project we had in the past. 

For this one, his team did all of the development. Jason provided three developers to help us with the development. 

How did you come to work with PLECCO Technologies Inc.?

We had a relationship with Jason for quite a while, so we hired them. He'd actually worked at Xceleration at one time, and then he went off to PLECCO. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested more than $260,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership lasted from December 2019–May 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Getting the site launched in an aggressive timeline was the biggest metric, and we launched it within the timeline we were targeting. PLECCO worked hard for us and even spent a lot of hours in some weeks. 

The timeline was six months, and that wasn’t as short as weeks. However, the amount of work that went into that site and the amount of customization and features that we added were very aggressive for that timeline. They did a really good job and high-quality work, and they were reliable. 

How did PLECCO Technologies Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

PLECCO was pretty much part of our team. They came into the office before things got crazy and worked alongside us just like anybody else on the team. They participated in all the stand-ups, and when we were all virtual, they also went all virtual. It was seamless. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their flexibility was most impressive. Jason was able to find me some helping hands very quickly. In the past, when I outsourced work as I did with PLECCO and brought in some extra help, it took a really long time to find good development talents.

Jason was able to turn that around pretty quickly. To me, that was their biggest differentiator from other companies that I’ve worked with in the past. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We did have a little snag. There was some confusion with the timesheets, but that wasn't anything that was difficult to overcome. At this point, I can’t think of anything they could improve on. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If your team works together in an office and you bring PLECCO to work alongside your team, make sure they're invited in all the stand-ups and participate in the design discussions. 

A lot of times, when people have outsourced talent, they'll exclude them from design discussions. However, they could be missing an opportunity to get a different point of view and good feedback from a different angle. 

Treat them like any other team member. Just because they're contractors doesn't mean that they don't have good ideas and can't contribute in meaningful ways. That's not just for working with PLECCO; it's a piece of advice I'd give to anybody working with an outside contractor. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO and co-founder of Battery X-Change, where we build a rental platform that provides on-demand portable batteries for cell phone users.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PLECCO Technologies Inc.?

We need extra hands and expertise when it comes to the development process of our mobile application. We also need to build a new website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

PLECCO Technologies helps in the QA process of our mobile application and the development of our website. The mobile application runs on both Android and iOS platforms. Their team is responsible for both the front- and backend of the website, though they work more on the backend. 

What is the team composition?

I work hand-in-hand with Jason (CEO), and then he works with other individuals within his company. He’s my main point of contact. 

Jason has brought in a developer to help do the QA, since we need an IT person to be extra eyes and ears for the QA testing of the mobile app. We have some other developers that are already developing it. He’s also brought in a teammate to execute the development of the website. 

How did you come to work with PLECCO Technologies Inc.?

I connected with them before the COVID-19 pandemic at an ecosystem event here in Charlotte. I was pitching, and Jason came up to me. We hit it off really well. Then, I started to learn about what PLECCO Technologies did. It was in good timing before we needed that type of help. 

I've always liked how Jason was good at building and maintaining relationships, so when it was time, and we needed their services, I knew who to call. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $2,500–$3,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project around August 2020, and the partnership is ongoing. They continue to maintain the website. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have an efficient QA testing procedure right now, and we have a more streamlined way to communicate with the developers utilizing Trello. Our website is also more B2B-facing now than what it was before, which was more consumer-facing. Overall, we have a better site now for where we’re headed as a business.

How did PLECCO Technologies Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve had top-tier performances. I've worked with some other companies in the past, but PLECCO Technologies’ level of communication has been better. They make sure I understand everything. We communicate at meetings virtually via Zoom and through our Microsoft Teams’ chat.

What did you find most impressive about them?

PLECCO Technologies is really transparent and easy to communicate with. They live on the technology side of the world, and I don’t come from that. However, they articulate and explain things to me, and that allows me to make better decisions as a CEO. 

They’re super helpful, and their patience helps out a lot. They take time, and they don’t rush things just to try to get the job done, which is something I’ve found with other companies. 

The quality of work is also impressive. When I ask for something to be done, it’s of good quality and done in a timely manner. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, none yet. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open to the opinion that their team gives because it's insightful. If you're coming from my perspective of not being in that world on the tech side, you should be open to their perspective and opinions. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Graphic Design and Marketing firm, Creative Director

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire PLECCO Technologies, Inc., and what were your goals?

Website Development, create a mobile friendly, full feature, interactive website.

SOLUTION

How did you select PLECCO Technologies, Inc. and what were the deciding factors?

They were very knowledgeable and professional.

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

All aspects of website development.

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

I am not sure, Plecco provided a dedicated account manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Endusers were very happy.

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

Scheduled timeline and regular production updates

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

Ability to manage project redirections.

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

I am sure all projects have room for improvement, however nothing that stands out.