What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The problems that we were working on were very challenging. They were, in some ways, pushing the boundaries of our field. PSL came up with solutions to address these problems that didn’t exist before. It was different than most software development projects, and many of the outcomes were hard to predict.
Because of the nature of the work, the metrics were very atypical. That being said, the quality of the work and the motivation of the team were exceptional. They were very flexible in terms of reacting and learning throughout the project. PSL had to help us make decisions as we were both learning, and we’re extremely happy with the results of that collaboration.
How did PSL Corp. perform from a project management standpoint?
Something that we appreciated about PSL was their ability to fill in the gaps of our project management approach. They took over several project management tasks that were lacking on our end. This was all part of their desire to make everything function collectively. We had project managers on our side coming and going, which made things very challenging, but PSL was able to save the project.
We managed the project using the Scrum method and relied on in-house communication tools to stay in contact. We rely on Cisco technologies, like Webex and Cisco Spark, for conferencing and instant messaging.
We also had in-person meetings on a regular basis to talk about overall roadmaps and broader project issues. They were times when we traveled to their office in Colombia to bring the team together. We also had their key leads come to our office in Seattle for long-term planning meetings.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Three aspects were outstanding. One was the communication. They were always clear and transparent, and we never experienced any language barriers. The second aspect is their approach. They were extraordinarily respectful, polite, and supportive.
The last aspect is the level of ownership. It was obvious that their team leads genuinely cared about the product, which made for a very fruitful collaboration process. As I mentioned previously, we had some project management issues on our side, and I’m not sure that another provider would have been able to handle that as well as PSL did.
Are there any areas they could improve?
We handpicked the team from PSL who worked on this project, and it was difficult finding people with the right skillset. This wasn’t unique or surprising, though, because our platform required a high level of specialization that is typically very rare.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Give them enough time and leeway to recruit the right people. This is especially important if you need specific, non-standard skill sets. PSL is flexible and well-structured, and will be able to build the right team with enough time.
Throughout the partnership, PSL Corp. has consistently produced great results. Thanks to their solid processes, the team's efforts have led to an increase in sales and competitiveness, as well as an optimized budget. They are organized and always willing to rectify any unsatisfactory situations.