Q agency

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

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

We have a provisioning model behind the app that accounts for both the hardware and the software using. Our customer base is growing over time. That’s why we decided to implement additional features to make this solution a standalone product. The app is successful. Our customers want to use it because it’s helpful. We’re still working on an Android version of the platform, so we’ll be able to offer that when our work is finished.  

How did Q agency perform from a project management standpoint?

We started with a small development team but realized that we had to adjust our setup when we started adding more to their plate. Once we decided upon having a dedicated team, they assigned us a project manager and began working in an agile development style. We’re able to be involved in every stage of the project through Jira. Through our communication and in-person visits, we both grew and learned from each other.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really make an effort to understand our needs, even when they’re difficult to describe on our end. A company that we had worked with in the past was eager to create something. However, they produced a solution that we didn’t need. It didn’t align with our requirements. Their team asked the right questions to truly understand and clarify our needs. That was very helpful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The main thing that needed to be addressed was our project management structure. They were able to adjust our situation very quickly when we needed it, so I can’t think of any negatives about their team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d recommend getting a dedicated team on their end. That way, you’ll have a set group of people who understand exactly what you’re trying to achieve. Then, give them the time they need to produce good results.

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

We’ve had really good customer feedback. We just implemented the MVP among nine testing customers. The platform is extraordinarily easy to use and simple. Our users often struggle with invoicing—it’s a total nightmare—but this platform makes it much easier.

Q agency understood exactly what we wanted to accomplish. They’re forward-thinking and always know what’s best, which is really cool. Even when our internal team can’t decide on specific, they’re able to just go on and build what they think is best. Nine out of ten agencies can’t do that. We haven’t worked with a vendor this good in years.

How did Q agency perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s funny you ask that because they just Slacked me! They communicate very well. It’s really cool because they don’t stick to standard business hours. If something crucial comes up, we’re always able to text them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really understand what we want, and the team hasn’t changed since we started working together. As a result, we haven’t needed to take the time to get people up to speed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really. They did a great job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let them do their job. Once you explain the project and they get it, let them take control. They’re experienced and innovative.

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

Q Software's work is absolutely top notch. The quality is exceptional and free from errors. They’re probably the best software vendor I’ve ever worked with. However, our business case was always weak. So while we’re not seeing impressive business results, that has absolutely nothing to do with their work. 

Our internal team is quite pleased with the site. The fact they got the site done on time—when all the odds said they shouldn't—was remarkable. Everyone was thrilled that it was delivered on time. 

How did Q Software perform from a project management standpoint? 

Their team is brilliant. We only have half of the project manager’s time but he does a remarkable job. He’s always pragmatic and calm. He takes on every challenge that we throw at him. Just about everything that could go wrong from our side did go wrong, and he responds quickly and with a solution. He deals with everything in a timely fashion, and also with good humor to keep the relationship positive. 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

Their attitude is excellent. Q Software is so knowledgeable about everything we ask of them. They always seem to know what they're doing. They’re good-natured even when we change things a million times. In addition, the quality of the products they deliver, and the speed with which they deliver them, is impressive. They’re always able to come up with not only a quick solution but a clever solution. Then they’re able to implement that solution flawlessly, which is rare among software vendors. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

There were a couple of times that we needed information from the CTO. He's so incredibly busy that it was almost impossible to get to him. Some sort of decentralized processes or mechanism to get that information is the only thing that could be improved. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

Nothing springs to mind. They manage to come through even when we’re incredibly disorganized. So however you approach them or whatever you give them, they'll be able to respond. They make it quite simple from a client perspective.