Prospus

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

MNX Global Logistics specializes in time-critical logistics, serving a wide range of multinational leaders in the biopharmaceutical, life sciences, high tech, medical device, aviation, entertainment and financial industries. MNX provides services that include: Next Flight Out (NFO), Air Charter, Expedited Ground, Forward Stocking and Managed Transportation solutions. I am the Head of Marketing at MNX Global Logistics.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Over the last 10 years, MNX acquired 6 companies in the time-critical logistics space. While some of the acquired companies had been integrated into the MNX brand, we had 3 entities that continued to operate under their own brand, identity and website. In 2021, MNX rebranded with a new logo, identity, and voice. As part of this rebrand, all entities of MNX were consolidated under the parent MNX Global Logistics brand. We hired Prospus to work in collaboration with our branding firm to develop a new website for this combined brand. The goal of the project was to launch a new website that was modern, search engine optimized and mobile friendly.

SOLUTION

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

Our branding firm selected Prospus and introduced them to us.

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

It was full website development process that involved a brand new identity, copy, and design. Together with the branding firm, a wireframe was created, all pages and flow were designed for a good user experience. The website also had to be integrated with 3 separate operating systems to pull and display shipment tracking information. Because our current website had to be running right until we switched over, the site was first developed in a staging environment.

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

Our main point of contact was the owner of Prospus.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After lunching the new site and consolidating traffic from all of our legacy sites, we saw traffic jump 65% in the first month, with a consistent year-over-year increase of about 40%. In-bound website leads increased 50%.

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

Our project was huge. Our final website launched with over 100 pages of content. There were multiple last minute changes and tweaks that we needed to make. Prospus not only took all of the changes in stride, but they were very communicative about what could realistically be achieved before launch, and what should be pushed off to a phase 2 task. The were also extremely fast in responding to our questions and comments.

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

They have a strong "can-do" attitude. We threw stuff at them that were completely outside of the original scope-of-work, and they were able to take our ideas, found workable solutions, and then implement them with success.

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

We have some continued issues with cacheing and formatting. These are generally minor and Prospus has been quick to address and resolve.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a digital producer for Innovation Protocol, a full-service strategic brand consulting and design firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our client, MNX, was in need of a complete website overhaul. Innovation Protocol has in-house strategists and designers, but we reach out to partners to help with web development. After a thorough partner search we selected Prospus. Our goal was to launch a brand new website on-time and within budget.

SOLUTION

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

We searched our trusted database of production partners. We selected Prospus because they demonstrated that their development team was capable of delivering a world-class WordPress website at a competitive price. We also appreciated the bid included a dedicated and proficient project manager.

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

The project included development based on our provided wireframes and design files. Design files were provided as Adobe XD files. Project steps included: Configure CMS and Databases in Staging Environment Develop Navigation and Menus Develop Post Types and Pages Install Plug-Ins and Configure APIs Enter Content into CMS & Stage for Launch Migrate Approved Content to Staging Quality Assurance & User Acceptance Testing Switch DNS to New Host Server LAUNCH.

Moreover, Train Client Teams on CMS The key deliverable was a WordPress website that included an alert system, a package tracking mechanism that required connectivity to the client's API, and a robust series of tagged, randomized case studies.

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

Our main contact was a project manager. We did not work directly with the PM's development team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Both Innovation Protocol and the client were extremely happy with the new website. Acceptance testing went very smoothly.

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

Prospus's communication style is top-notch. We communicated primarily via email and Trello, though our PM was always available for client phone calls.

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

Their customer service and responsiveness is fantastic. Their work has ensured a bug-free site, and the team has met the approved scope.

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

No, we thoroughly enjoyed working with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the head of a small experiential and interactive media development company. We develop interactive solutions for tradeshow marketing purposes. 
 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Prospus?

One of my clients needed an interactive touchscreen with an attached backend CMS that would enable them to swap out content in the system after it was deployed. 
 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Prospus provided resources to develop the frontend software for the interactive component of our product. They also developed the backend. Our app runs locally on the Windows-based tablet and machine. It connects to a cloud-based content storage system. The nature of the build was similar to web development, so all of the features are attributable to website design and creation. 

What is the team composition? 

About 2–3 teammates from Prospus worked on our project. 

How did you come to work with Prospus?

Prospus was referred to us through a mutual friend. We chose them over other providers we considered based on my positive impression of the owner. Since we don't have any in-house developers on staff, I almost always contract remote external teams to build our products. 

In my experience, comfortable communication is more important than advanced technical capabilities. If I can’t oversee a team in person, it’s critical they know all our requirements. Prospus demonstrated a level of understanding I didn't see from other candidates. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent under $50,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August–September 2018. The project lasted about 4–6 weeks in total.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don't have any specific metrics to share at this time. Accounting for our requirements, Prospus designed the frontend of the system to make it easy for users to upload and download content. The way the app connects to a cloud-hosted backend CMS is a unique functionality. 

The team was quick to send back materials I requested like quotes or hours during the early stages of our project. We worked together to solve any issues we encountered. Most challenges directly related to working with a remote, offshore team.

How did Prospus perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was average for the field. Some minor issues arose when Marc (President and Owner, Prospus) stepped out and passed off the project to a primarily offshore team. They were forthcoming about this handoff, so the team’s remote location aligned with my original expectations. 

I felt like the project manager struggled to understand what I wanted to achieve. Since I’ve worked in this space for a long time, I quickly figured how to solve our communication problems. Even though it didn't end up being a problem, it required me to be highly specific and provide detailed notes. I didn't have the luxury of sending a high-level explanation and comfortably assuming they could fill in the blanks. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I can't think of anything specific that distinguishes them from all the other vendors I've worked with over the years. They were right at the top of the bell curve; neither exceptionally great nor noticeably poor. The specific struggles we experienced have happened with every other comparable team I've engaged. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The bidding process didn't go as well as I would have liked. Since I thought I’d planned accordingly, I was slightly confused about and contested late change requests I felt the bid should have accounted for. Whenever I budget a project, I include 15-20% of padding because most clients in my industry tend to make minor requests like color changes during the last few weeks of development. 

Secondly, I didn't feel like I was getting feedback regularly. I prefer to be closely involved and wanted more insight regardless of the product's state. Their method is to show clients the final version. Neither way is right or wrong. I understand the pushback since some clients might critique aspects that aren't done yet, but I've done enough development projects that I can distinguish mistakes and unfinished work. Having a less experienced producer than I'm used to may have created some friction. I felt concerned early on when I didn't get progress updates for a week.

In the end, we straightened everything out. My concerns came from working on our first project together. I now have more confidence in the team and am aware of their strengths. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Future clients should provide highly specific requirements, which is advice that applies to projects with any external team. Being upfront about the bid will help both your teams address any contingencies that occur. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Decisionship, an IP provider for early-stage investors. I’m also the founder and CEO of Investible Pty Ltd, an early-stage investor, and entrepreneurial development provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Prospus?

We needed to develop an app to support the system that would eventually replace our program. We had a mobile app that would allow founders to understand their business and their motivations. We needed the app to have multiple programs within it.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted the app to be launched and be used by founders to log their decisions and increase their understanding of their own companies.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We did a comprehensive search on Elance, now known as Upwork. Our search process included a request for tender (RFP), interviews, and then proposals regarding the scope of the work.

Describe the project in detail.

They developed the app for launch. It included 12 complex tools that functioned as apps within the app itself.

What was the team composition?

Prospus provided an account manager, a tech lead, and up to 20 developers at any time. We used our own project lead, our trainers, and myself as a project sponsor.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

They delivered the project on time and within our budget. Users provided positive feedback.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They managed the timesheets, suggestions, and future scope work, which we found impressive. They kept us completely up to date with progress reports.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their organization and communication skills surprised us, as we had different experiences with outsourcing projects before. Though they're small, they have the professionalism of a much bigger company without the red tape or cost.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the co-founders of VesselWise. We offer an app that lets people document, organize, and share information regarding necessary repairs to their boats. Users can take a picture of the damage, write a quick description, select the type of work they need done—carpentry, electrical, plumbing, fiberglass—and send it out to whoever accepts or rejects warranty claims. All the necessary information is now organized for whoever makes that decision, who can then close out the work and manage payments. The app makes everyone the surveyor of their own boat.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Prospus?

I needed someone to develop my company’s app. Not only that, but I’d never done anything with building software before, so I needed someone to tell me what I was getting into, in terms of building a company, feasibility, and costs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, the app was focused on what I saw as the immediate needs (surveying on yachts), but, as we were developing the software, I realized that it could be adapted to fit any manufacturing process, like home or building construction, so we went with a broader, general foundation, one that wasn’t trapped within the yachting industry.

They built native apps for iOS and Android and a web-based application with which all the apps would synchronize and communicate. The office-bound people use the web-based app and see changes live, as they’re happening. Each case has its own chat feature, so if people need more pictures or further descriptions it can be done quickly through the apps. Yacht management companies have to do regular checklist inspections and communicate the results to the owners so the app sorts problems by priority. You can then filter through the problems easily and focus on what needs to be fixed right away.

I gave them my 100 pages of descriptions of functionalities in the beginning and they suggested that I pare it down and identify my top priorities for a minimum viable product (MVP). We started with the iPhone app and then pulled it over to iPad, before doing Android. However, we returned to the iOS focus quickly because we didn’t want to create duplicate problems on each platform. Once we got further along the iOS path, we continued on with Android.

We realized, after putting it in everyone’s hands, that we need to simplify it even more. Instead of removing features, we created a toggle button that allowed users to switch between basic and advanced mode. This way, they wouldn’t be distracted thinking that they had to use all of the advanced features.

What is the team composition?

We had 25 people at the largest moment, and their senior project coordinator was my main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Prospus?

They were recommended to me.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $750,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from December 2014 until April 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Surprisingly, I got good feedback right away and the largest boat retailer in the world agreed to let us launch the app in five of their U.S. stores. Immediately after that, yacht management companies became very interested.

The hardest part is getting people to change their software habits—what they're using—even if you have a better solution. Some people are only comfortable with email and just don't want to touch a mobile application. This wasn’t a $10 application either; people were paying thousands of dollars for subscriptions so we had to convince them that it was worthwhile. That’s where Prospus, and especially their owner, came in.

When it came time to deal with potential clients, the owner helped me through the process and taught me to analyze their needs, so as to better direct my focus. He knew the right questions to ask and the common elements across manufacturing processes that we could highlight to make people think the app was worthwhile to download, use, and pay for. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, in terms of forming a company around my software, but they helped extract the ideas out of my mind and turn them into something people wanted.

How did Prospus perform from a project management standpoint?

They were always there I when needed them and they always answered the phone, no matter the time of day, which I was concerned about due to the time difference. They communicated functionality outlines over Skype and Google Docs constantly so I was never sitting around and waiting for them to respond. In fact, I was a little overwhelmed by how much they were communicating and updating.

I was full of big ideas in the beginning and they helped me pare them down and organize my mind. They taught me how to talk to other people enough that they’re interested, but not say too much.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m a detail-oriented person but Prospus kept me focused on getting the apps working and into people’s hands. They didn’t let me get distracted by the small details. It was extremely helpful to have the owner there to be an intermediary or liaison. If I came to a point where I couldn’t communicate what I wanted properly, he would step in and guide the situation back on track, in the direction it should be going. Our point of contact was also fantastic, both at communicating my ideas to her team and always being available.

Another one of their strengths is the affordability of being based in India. Some people I’ve talked to who have had communication issues with companies in India, whether it be language or cultural barriers, but that wasn’t the case for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't give them any complaints. They were there for me and held my hand throughout the process, as this was a new world for me.

If they’d known sooner how big my ideas were and taught me to think smaller, that would’ve helped us deliver faster, but I can’t blame them for that. That was me wanting to build an enormous suite of tools and functionalities. They helped me scale back and focus on the MVP quickly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Entropolis, an entrepreneurship education platform for 8–18-year-olds. It’s an online program that creates a digital community for young people.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Prospus?

We needed to build and maintain a large custom platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Prospus built all of the versions of our Entropolis platform. We started with a slightly different purpose back in 2014, and we’ve since changed and gone through a number of iterations. Prospus initially started with frontend and backend work, and now they’re completely in charge of our builds. I provide them with all the requirements, and they do the coding, architecture, and maintenance. The site is a custom PHP build with a few subdomains on WordPress. We’re planning on a significant upgrade within the next 12 months.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with the owner and a project manager, and they have a team of about 10 developers.

How did you come to work with Prospus?

I put out a brief and had a few high-tech partners submit proposals. We interviewed a couple of them and were most impressed by Prospus. They were responsive and provided clear guidance on how they’d help us reach our goals.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $600,000 in the past four years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been partners since 2014, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website works and looks good; we’ve received great feedback, but it has few bugs. Prospus quickly solves any problems, which makes us and our clients happy. They’re so efficient that we don’t want an in-house dev team.

How did Prospus perform from a project management standpoint?

Our previous team wasn’t responsive, but Prospus is the exact opposite. They create detailed plans and maintain open and daily communication, often over Skype. The project manager is professional and organized, almost always achieving our desired outcome. They’re flexible and keep us up to date on project progress. They provide sufficient documentation and adjust to our needs and concerns.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s rare that an agency like ours would retain a client for four years, so that speaks to their professionalism. They provide support above and beyond what’s required, helping us make good technology decisions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had some concerns with their responsiveness at the beginning of our partnership, but they quickly addressed those issues. I don’t have any other complaints or criticisms.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

When I worked with Prospus, I was a consultant at a Boat Dealership.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Prospus?

We wanted to build a responsive and innovative web application, so we were looking for a company to help us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped our VP of IT with budgeting and made recommendations on how to set up infrastructure internally. Then, they developed a web application and a mobile application for us. It was a very collaborative process, and they helped us with the wireframes and the design.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Marc (CEO, Prospus), who had a team underneath him.

How did you come to work with them?

I joined the company after the relationship had already started.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between March 2016–May 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our customers started using web and mobile applications instead of signing physical paperwork, which sped up the process. Prospus has a lot of expertise in development and architectural design, so they delivered a high-quality product.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

I was the project manager, so I worked closely with them every step of the way. They're an offshore team, but we never had any issues. We mostly used phone and email to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're very knowledgeable and responsive to our feedback. Meeting their clients' needs is their top priority.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They want to please their customer, so their scope sometimes changes. However, allowing the scope to change too much can impact the timelines, so it might be better to hold the client to the original scope.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an academic development manager for Gaba Corporation, which is an English school in Japan. With about 40 schools located in the major cities of Japan, we primarily serve business people and adults who want to learn English communication skills. My section is responsible for creating the curriculum and learning tools for one-on-one lessons as well as online study-at-home.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Prospus?

We’re in the process of revamping our study-at-home content, which previously consisted of quiz questions and audio dialogue. We wanted to introduce a flashcard-based vocabulary learning system that would be available to students on the client website. We needed a technology partner to build that system.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Prospus started by assigning a project lead to work with us to define the requirements. Next they decided what the system was going to look like. Once they completed that stage, they began development. While we want to have both an online system and smartphone applications, we decided to start with the web app.

The system allows students to manually enter new vocabulary terms, as well as import lists from their textbooks. There’s a calendar function that presents specific vocabulary terms to students in advance of key dates, such as an exam. Once each vocabulary term is presented, the student selects a definition. Depending on whether or not they go the answer correct, the system determines if they need to study that term again. This is based on a learning technique called spaced repetition. If the student knows a term, that particular flashcard might not reappear for several weeks.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with Marc (President & Owner, Prospus). They had one engineer who was in direct communication with our IT team. Beyond that, I’m not sure how many engineers actually worked on our project.

How did you come to work with Prospus?

We explained the spaced repetition theory to a consultant we work with here in Japan. They introduced us to Prospus and recommended we work with them on developing the software.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $300,000 total. The web app development cost over $200,000. Ongoing maintenance is about $100,000, plus $10,000 for server costs.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2014, and the web app was released in 2016. We had to put the smartphone app on hold because of resource issues. They continue to provide ongoing maintenance for the web app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our students say the system is very useful for learning vocabulary. The instructors particularly like that the system allows them to input the vocabulary for their next lesson. The students can add any new words to the interface and automatically create flashcards. They enjoy that functionality and find it extremely beneficial. Some students have had challenges understanding the interface. The fault is on our end for not doing enough to explain how to use the system. Prospus added the question mark icon to explain the site functionality in more detail.   

How did Prospus perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team is very good. One engineer from our IT team worked closely with them on scoping out the project. The Prospus team took the lead in creating the outline and defining the requirements. We created user cases so we could show them exactly what we wanted each function to do. We mainly communicate over Skype messenger, with occasional Skype calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Working with Mark has been a very positive experience. He’s very helpful, flexible, and understanding. When we had resource issues and had to put work on hold, he understood that they had to wait until we’re able to proceed. He’s also really good at coming up with solutions any time we had any challenges.

Are there any areas they could improve?

One area they could improve on is communication during the development phase. There was a language barrier between our Japan-based engineer and their engineer in India. However, Mark stepped in to help and managed to resolve the issue and get the project moving again.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the president of EFLTechnologies. Our company specializes in digital educational solutions to teach users the English language.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Prospus?

We needed to develop our company’s website, er-central.com. The site needed reading and listening capabilities with a text analysis tool.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to build the initial proof of concept before we started to build a user base.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We first found them on Elance. In a preliminary discussion, the Prospus team gave me a very good idea of their capabilities. I was really impressed by the CEO’s honesty and integrity, so I decided to partner with them.

Describe the project in detail.

Prospus built a learning environment that supports thousands of English texts for reading and listening. The content ranges from high-level to beginner-level texts and students can find material that best matches their capabilities. Our system tracks each users progress and generates a downloadable spreadsheet as documentation. To enhance the educational experience, the platform also includes a level check feature, vocabulary games, a word management functionality, and progress notifications.

What was the team composition?

The CEO was interested in our project, so he initially led the team. Later in the project, he handed over the daily management responsibilities to an assistant, who managed a team of coders. I worked most closely with the assistant.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

From mostly organic signups, the website attracts between 80,000–100,000 users per year without any additional promotional campaigns.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Generally, the workflow was very smooth. I was very appreciative of the CEO’s involvement in the design phases of the website. Over the course of the engagement, there was staff turnover, which caused occasional problems with continuity. I will say that I could’ve communicated better on my end, as well. Despite that, I was happy with their diligent work ethic and comprehensive record keeping methods.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Working with the CEO was fantastic. He was capable and understood our needs very well.

Are there any areas for improvement?

All companies have room for improvement, but based on our positive experience, we would certainly do business with them again.