Q agency

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the creative director of a digital marketing agency called 265 Media.

What challenge were you trying to address with Q agency?

We were trying to provide a digital solution for the Special Olympics (one of our clients). They normally have an annual event, but that didn’t happen because of the pandemic. Our challenge was to take that live event and give it life in a digital format.

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Q agency helped us develop a technical solution to host the Special Olympics, which featured competitors from 58 countries. The idea was loosely based on fantasy football concepts. We’d built a training ground where competitors could do training exercises and earn points for their respective countries. As they earned points, they could go up or down a league table. 

To accommodate that, Q agency built a complex solution that allowed everyone who signed up for the event to participate in scoring the competitors. The solution would keep a tally of the scores and adjust the league table as the event progressed. The competitors were also loaded into a map as well as into the league tables.

Q agency’s team brought a lot to the project in terms of input on other ideas that we could add, and they managed to hit a tight turnaround of six weeks. We plan to use this platform for two more events this year as well as for the World Games. 

What is the team composition? 

I dealt with three people during the scoping process. Once the work began, I collaborated closely with one point of contact, which was brilliant. The two of us functioned like project managers to make sure we hit our schedule.

How did you come to work with Q agency?

I’d heard of them through a colleague a few years ago, and they presented us with some projects that showcased what they could do. We’ve since gone to them for our bigger, more complicated web development projects.

How much have you invested with them?

It was about €35,000 (approximately $42,400 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

This project lasted from September–August 2020.

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

Q agency’s platform was the first stepping stone toward digitally transforming our client’s organization. While we judged the project’s success based on the number of sign-ups we received, Q agency’s work was really reflected in the quality of the solution itself. The site worked perfectly despite the short turnaround preventing us from doing extensive testing. Any minimal bugs that we did see were fixed quickly.

How did Q agency perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very responsive and communicated well. We mostly coordinated through email. I’d have weekly check-in calls on Fridays with my main point of contact, with other quick calls as needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Obviously, Q agency managed to pull off a very complex project in a short time span, but it was their add-ons that were really impressive. There were functions that I originally didn’t want to suggest because I was concerned about our turnaround time. But, they went ahead and scoped out the ideas on their own and assured us that they could fit them into the schedule. These add-ons ended up making the solution more advanced.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I wouldn’t say that there was anything that they could’ve done better. We employed them for their development expertise, and that’s what they delivered.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you have people on your team who know what’s involved in a web development project. Otherwise, you’ll struggle simply due to the nature of the work. I’d also advise you to invest the time during the initial scoping process. Don’t cut corners there.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for an oil and gas contractor handling operational systems improvement. That involves examining internal processes and implementing solutions that optimize efficiency. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Q agency?

We needed their help with resource forecasting, visibility, and utilization.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We were looking to create a solution that would allow us to take a standardized approach for estimating required resources for a project or SOW. Related data was then spread across a bunch of disparate Excel worksheets, so they helped us build a platform to increased data visibility and standardization. 

The application is geared toward our department of resource management. It was important that we understood where resources for our current projects get committed. It was essential for us to have full oversight of our current resources as well as potential resource shortages further down the pipeline. They built the custom software platform that gives us those insights.  

What is the team composition?

There were a couple of team changes during the project, so there were about 10 people we worked with in total. However, there was only a maximum of about six people working at a time. There was a business analyst, a UI expert, someone in charge of test scripting, a lead developer, and several other developers as well. 

How did you come to work with Q agency?

Our internal IT team found them and made me aware of their services. Our solutions team was impressed with their discovery workshop, providing a full breakdown of the work along with an estimate of what they were able to provide. Against the market, they offered a full scope of services. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent €160,000 (approximately $192,800 USD).  

What is the status of this engagement?

We had 13 two-week sprints lasting from June–December 2020.

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

During the demos we’ve given of the software, we’ve received very positive feedback. People are excited to get their hands on it. Once we’ve made a few tweaks based on user feedback, it will be available on a wider scale. The response has been pure excitement with the company so far.  

How did Q agency perform from a project management standpoint?

They're extremely easy to work with and contact. Sometimes, they would push us to hit deadlines more than we would push them. They’re an organized team that’s committed to developing a solution that provides value. That showed through in their commitment to performance and project management.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their flexibility and adaptability were both impressive. In my experience, designing a new solution is a learning process that needs an agile, quick team. They were able to move the project forward despite ambiguities, knowing that we’ll materialize solutions together as we progress. They’ve well to challenging situations and have allowed the project to develop as we’ve moved forward. They didn’t need to have all the answers upfront because they took a helpful, agile approach. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They did a fantastic job.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let them be creative. Some of the best aspects of our project materialized due to their suggestions. Be flexible in allowing them to contribute to your ideas, even if you feel like you have a strong idea of what you want.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a product manager for a news outlet.

What challenge were you trying to address with Q agency?

Our publication’s editorial content was very strong when it came to the news, but we identified a gap around the guidance space. We brought Q agency on board to help build a site where we could explore the idea of learning in the financial space.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Q agency delivered a functional site built on WordPress. We needed something that could be regularly updated with editorial content and optimized for SEO. It was quite holistic.

Now, we’re focused on optimization. As we learn about our users, it’s more about delving into the data and solving problems with the help of Q agency. We use Google Analytics for that piece.

What is the team composition?

We’re working with six people.

How did you come to work with Q agency?

I wasn’t part of the group that hired Q agency, so I can’t speak to that.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since June 2018.

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

There was a restructure of the whole taxonomy of the site, and after making that change, we saw a 40% month-over-month growth in organic traffic. That’s been great. They were heavily involved in that process and it was very seamless. 

Anecdotally, in terms of the goals we set for ourselves during sprints, it’s very rare that Q agency doesn’t meet them. They’re a very strong team to work with. They’re very knowledgeable and communicative; from my point of view, they’re excellent. 

How did Q agency perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a really good scrum master who’s extremely communicative. It’s nice as a product manager to be able to lean on someone who’s good at delivering, because it means I can take a step back and look into the future. They’re very strong from a project management point of view.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m most impressed with the quality of their communication. If there’s ever a problem, the whole team jumps on it straight away. Also, the quality of their answers when we have questions. Q agency comes back with quite detailed demonstrations of how to do something if we’re unsure, and they’ll offer to jump on a call to help us. It’s great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not from my experience. They’re very much embedded into what we’re doing. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear on the skill sets you need. Having a diversity of knowledge within the team has really helped us.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Mark O’Sullivan- Director, BodymechaniX Performance Analysis
Peter Waldron- Director, BodymechaniX Performance Analysis

What challenge were you trying to address with Q agency?

PW: We linked up with Q agency to develop our platform. It was a matter of moving our idea from a clinical environment based in physical therapy practice into a broader digital platform. From there, we hoped to get our message across wider medical platforms.

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Mike O'Sullivan: Q agency has been instrumental in creating a simple athlete data management platform. We came to them with a very specific plan, and they took us through a six-week discovery phase to go over our design and concept. After that, we had two months of sprints to build the product before going into initial troubleshooting and debugging.

This year, we’ve gone through a second round of deliverables that expanded on our concept. The new aspects allow us to analyze certain key metrics. We’re keeping to a simple design to avoid complicating the interface.

PW: Their team uses HTML 5, JavaScript, Go, and a SASS Webpack to build our platform. They also follow an OOCSS paradigm with BEM (block element modifier) for CSS along with component-based pricing. The backend is in Craft CMS. 

In addition, they do our server setup, third-party integrations, and customizations. All of the extensions are based in PHP. 

What is the team composition? 

MS: There have been about 10–11 people between their account manager, two JavaScript resources, five developers, designers, and e-commerce specialists.

How did you come to work with Q agency?

MS: We found them through a contact that we have in Ireland that does a lot of work with Q agency. Our first phone calls were with their CEO and CTO, just to see if our project would’ve been a correct fit.

How much have you invested with them?

PW: It’s about €17,000 (approximately $17,800 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

PW: The project started in July 2019, and we’re still working with them.

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

MS: We’ve exhibited our platform with professional performance teams from a few franchises, and the response has been very positive. Some of the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that work with them have also expressed huge interest. They can see how our platform could add a new dynamic to the business services that they already provide.

How did Q agency perform from a project management standpoint?

PW: For us, their expertise has been great. They bring all of the high quality that they promise, and the team has exceeded our expectations completely. There’s nothing that they can’t achieve. 

MS: The communication has been absolutely exemplary. With every facet of the project, there’s communication and agreement first. Then, they move to test, build, or publish. We talk through Google Hangouts and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

PW: I’ve mentioned their ability to succeed in everything we could imagine and the quality of their work. But there’s also their willingness to listen, which gives them a clear understanding of what we’re looking for. That’s how they’re able to get an idea from our mind and translate it into the digital platform.

Are there any areas they could improve?

PW: No, I don’t think so. They overachieve with us and have probably expanded our thought process to a level that we didn’t think we could get to.

MS: To build on that, the way that they anticipated some of our needs before we knew we needed them was outstanding.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

PS: Have a clear idea of what you’re looking for so that they can streamline it. They’re very good at figuring out what your needs are through their discovery phase. Then, they create a clear pathway to achieve your goals. 

MS: If you have a concept, expand it as much as you can. The more information you give them, the more likely they are to come back with exactly what you want. Other than that, you’d be silly not to partner with them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the service manager for a cloud consulting agency. We develop different projects on Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

What challenge were you trying to address with Q agency?

We needed help with software development.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Q agency helps us develop software development projects on GCP. They work on our internal projects. Together with our team, they develop our product using Java, JavaScript, and HTML.

What is the team composition?

We started with one developer. After June, we saw the work was going well and they had good competency, and integrated two more people. We’re in discussions about increasing the team again.

How did you come to work with Q agency?

I had colleagues recommend them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000-$90,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2020 and the work is ongoing.

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

They respect our product roadmap in terms of releasing new functionalities and things like that.

How did Q agency perform from a project management standpoint?

We work with them in an agile way. We have daily standup meetings to discuss. Q agency works very closely with our team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really focus on their employees. Their employees are happy to work with them and now are happy to work with us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, our collaboration is very good.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re great people to work with. They have a lot of developers with good software development skills that aren’t always easy to find.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Bring Your Own Data (BYOD). We’re a virtual hospitality application and platform, concentrating on operational excellence and ROI to the bottom line of restaurants.

What challenge were you trying to address with Q agency?

We originally worked with Q on an application build.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We presented them with an idea we had to enhance our platform, and they did our front- and backend platform build. They’ve now launched five applications for us.

Because the architecture is fairly sophisticated, and we wanted to do some custom stuff, Q brought in different skillsets and expanded their own team. Not only are they managing the scope, but they also go out and recruit the resources that we need. Our backend is built on a lot of different coding, like Python, while the frontend is more traditional, so we needed Q’s resources to have those jive together. 

Our team worked directly with them on the architecture, and they recruited the tools that they needed to ultimately deliver the solution. Machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and other things on the backend are integrated into the solution, so it’s a lot of different pieces to put together. They’ve done a fantastic job navigating through all of that.

We just started up with a different scope with them. We’re still working with the entire team and are actually expanding a little bit. 

What is the team composition?

At the high point of the project, we worked with 10–12 people, which included the development team, the backend management team, and all of their administrative people. Vedran (Founder & CBO) handled business development, Matej (Senior Software Developer) did backend development, and someone else did frontend development.

Since I’m on more of the business and commercial side than the technical side, my main contacts were Vedran and Adrian (Key Account Manager). However, my chief architect, chief DevOps person, and data scientist worked with the people on the front- and backend teams. 

How did you come to work with Q agency?

Two years ago, we were working on another project and were introduced to Q. However, we’d already picked the vendor. In the meantime, we kept their file. When this project came about, our Swiss partner Frank called them. They were very gracious. We actually met them in New York, and then Frank met them at the office in Zagreb. 

How much have you invested with them?

To date, we’ve spent around $250,000–$300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began at the beginning of 2020, and we’re still in process.

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

I have an interesting background in that I own restaurants, too; I have a restaurant management group here in Michigan. Before we thought we were going to commercialize the solution, we looked at using the tool to manage our own business. We tested some of the market out before going to Q. We did our due diligence and determined there was a commercial opportunity.

We’ve had a chance to test those solutions internally, so the measure of success has been this idea translated into what we wanted to test and what the market is looking for. Using that beta in my own restaurant allowed us to sign an exclusivity agreement with a big association here in Michigan. They were really able to interpret what we were trying to do and put that into all of the applications, as you can tell by all of these commercial opportunities going forward. Then, just based on the market willingness and the feedback that we get on those particular applications, we’ve signed onto a new deal with them.

How did Q agency perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication and project management have been great, from my standpoint. I see the deliverables at the end, so I’m not necessarily interacting with them on a daily basis. However, all of the people that work for me have been very positive about Q’s interactions, deliverables, timelines, and communication. My communication with Zedran and Adrian is second-to-none. Even if there were issues, they were very willing to finding a solution.

They’re a great company to work with. They’re very flexible. Even though we’re international, it hasn’t affected any of it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their energy and experience are impressive. A lot of people have a ‘flashy brand’; they have a uniqueness and coolness to them, which is easy to do from a branding standpoint, but then they underdeliver. Q agency has that whole package; they have the image upfront, but it goes through all the way to working with their people and their teams, which I think is very difficult to do. They’re very polished and edgy, which you need to have on this kind of project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Offhand, I can’t think of anything they could’ve done differently. It was a very fluid process, and everybody embraced change whenever necessary. In true agile style, they really delivered.

Any advice for potential customers?

Anybody looking for someone that has the ability to do full-stack traditionally but then also push the envelope, understand they’re a company that likes to understand the project and scope. They’re very easy to deal with, but you need to be prepared; they challenge you to make sure you’re getting back exactly what you want. Expecting to be challenged on the customer side is needed for a successful project.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of marketing services at a marketing agency. I head up the department that builds websites and provides ongoing marketing services for most of the industrial manufacturing market.

What challenge were you trying to address with Q agency?

We’re working on a couple of projects with them because we were impressed with their work. It started off with an initial larger project. We wanted to rebuild the framework for our website customers.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked closely with Q agency to show them our existing framework, what we wanted from the new framework, and they provided us with recommendations and tools we could use.

We did all the initial designs for the framework that we needed, but they worked well with our design team to implement their work and carry it out.

They helped with website design and graphic design. They developed a lot of website templates and modules. We then were able to use those to rebuild other websites. The CMS WordPress.

What is the team composition?

Largely, we’ve had one point of contact, Sinisa (Head of Technical Operations). We’ve brought in additional team members for various projects.

How did you come to work with Q agency?

I met them at a conference I was speaking at two years ago. After my seminar, one of their leaders came up to me and told me that they thought they had a good fix four us. We continued that conversation and met up a few times. We realized that we had an opportunity to have an ongoing relationship with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We officially kicked off in November 2019 and we’re still working with them.  

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

We’re very satisfied with their work. With most development vendors, it’s hard to know what to expect until we can test it. We were really pleased from the get-go because their costs are competitive and they’ll go the extra mile. If they’re faced with a challenge, they will do research until they figure it out. It was very clear that they wanted the customer experience to improve.

Our customers have been happy with the designs and the performance as well. We will definitely continue to work with Q agency in some capacity.

How did Q agency perform from a project management standpoint?

The point person we work with is great about holding ongoing meetings. We had weekly meetings throughout the process to keep everything on track. They immediately got us set up on Slack, Jira, and Basecamp. They jump into the processes that work well for us, rather than making us adapt to what they’re used to. They’re super organized and are willing to take on whatever project we throw at them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve been great to wrok with and we look forward to doing more work with them in the future.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re based in a different time zone, so all of our meetings have to be before 10 am. It’s not the end of the world, but there is a time difference.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be prepared to provide examples. That’s the best way they can see what you’re asking for. That will help them quickly understand what you’re looking for.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of NXT Level Studio. We create experiential websites for corporate organizations.

What challenge were you trying to address with Q agency?

Q agency is our UX design partner. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

Right from the beginning of a project, when we’re building a new website for a client, we turn to Q agency. We meet with the team and explain the scope of what we were trying to build. Before even getting to work on the development, they take on a consultant role, holding workshops and working collaboratively with us to come up with UX and software design that fits the project.

What is the team composition?

We’re in regular contact with between 6–7 people, though the team fluctuates depending on what the project calls for.

How did you come to work with Q agency?

Q agency gave us the assurance that they had the skills, resources, and experience to be effective partners no matter what technology we were working in. That’s what originally attracted us to them, and after working with them, we realized partnering with them was a better option than growing an internal team.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about €50,000 so far (approximately $56,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since September 2019.

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

In our most recent project with them, they were able to produce an MVP extremely quickly. Our clients were blown away by the speed and the quality. Q agency is very hands-on and able to tackle problems as they come. 

How did Q agency perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management structure is excellent. The team is always on hand when we need them, and if we ask for something to be done, it will be done. We use Slack, Trello, and other online tools. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We approach our projects very creatively, and Q agency fits in really well with that aspect. The team is ready to tackle anything. They respond really well to challenges — we throw a lot at them, and they’re always able to move quickly and nimbly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I can think of at the moment.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You must go there and visit the team to get to know them on a personal level. Start with a small project so you can get to know their system and how they work. Then you can jump into the big projects.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a product manager at a national media organization. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Q agency?

We needed to build a website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The CMS is based on WordPress to make it easy for our editorial team, but Q agency built everything else from scratch. 

What is the team composition?

I reach out to their backend office team for statements of work and invoices, but I talk to developers multiple times a day. There’s a scrum master/delivery lead who runs the team.

How did you come to work with Q agency?

They’d done such a good job building another website for my department that we hired them for this project. I wasn’t on the original project where my company first hired Q agency.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about £250,000 (approximately $311,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in August 2019 and is ongoing. The site launched in December as an MVP but we still have a big roadmap of features left to build.

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

The site has been getting a lot of traffic because of its content. It’s doing quite well. The general desire in our organization is to continue building the site and keep a development team onboard for the next year. However, the site does rely on revenue streams, and many of those are drying up because of COVID-19. As we decide the next fiscal’s year budget, though, we’ll have to wait and see what will happen. 

How did Q agency perform from a project management standpoint?

This is definitely a positive. The delivery person is part-time, so she only works half a week on our project. However, she runs a tight ship and is always available and responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve worked with a lot of developers in the past, both onshore and offshore. Q agency is extremely responsive. I can make a note on a Jira ticket or put something on our Slack channel and get a response very quickly. They’re always happy to jump on a video call to get into detail on something. This is a problem I’ve had in the past with other agencies, and I’ve never had that problem with Q agency.

I can’t comment on the quality of code because I’m not an engineer. But, for what I need, they’re good at providing solutions. Plus, the quality of their work always goes through an approval layer in WordPress. It takes too long, so I assume that means it’s good.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing we could improve on would be the methodology we use. We work in agile, but it’s a little fluid at times. I don’t have a problem with that because it’s easy to get hung up on scrum theory, but we could both be more rigorous in our methodology. I include myself in that criticism as well.

Any advice for potential customers?

Q agency has responded well to my responsiveness and my willingness to incorporate them into our team. They want to be an extension of the client’s team and to collaborate alongside them. That’s how I work, so I think that’s enhanced the relationship

Please describe your company and your position there.

We make great digital experiences happen by blending strategic thinking with user experience design and agile software development. Our approach starts with real people's needs and results in measurable business value. Founded in 2008 we are headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. I am a founding partner and in the lead for digital strategy at Gold.

For what projects/services did your company hire Q agency?

We needed a reliable partner to be able to quickly dive into the project specifics and take over the reins for the development of the solution.

What were your goals for this project?

The solution needed to be built as a progressive web app (PWA) in react based on our technical and visual specifications and act as foundation for future development.

How did you select this vendor?

A longlasting partnership exists between our companies. Q Agency is has a team of highly qualified developers with excellent communication skills which can address any challenges popping up during a project.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Q developed the frontend layer of the solution. This included the logic in react, markup and styling of the application. Gold provided the conceptual and visual design, the technical specifications and acted as product owner on behalf of the client. The project began with going through the provided specifications, wireframes and flow diagramms in a discovery workshop, which led to a mutual understanding of the challenges and goals. The actual production began in the form of the Kanban agile methodology. Functional interim results were discussed in bi-weekly sessions. Through a thorough QA phase at the end of the project improvements and overall optimizations were made.

What was the team composition?

The project team consisted of six people, whereof Q provided the frontend development team. Additionally we had a stable project manager who was our direct point of contact and key account manager accompaning the developement.

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Our solution was developed on time and in budget and is currently being prepared for deployment. As such there are no metrics yet. The client is very happy with the results and the solution has met his expectations.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was very effective and communication lean and streamlined. We communicated exclusively with Hangout, Slack, Jira and GitHub.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We had direct access to both developers and management at any time. The highly skilled developers with great communication skills and exceptional commitment to the project led to a very highly intertwined collaboration between the two companies and a unified team for the project.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There is very little to improve. In future projects we would try to define some more milestones, especially in the early phase of the project to gain experience about project workflows and expectations quickly.