Qualbees

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The tool that was built was created for a startup project. I was the startup founder for this effort and I named it FeedGap.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Qualbees?

The project was a custom survey and reporting system. FeedGap is a reverse survey system so unlike traditional surveys where respondents GIVE you their opinion, with FeedGap, respondents GET your feedback on their gaps.  This approach immediately shares your curated guidance with respondents adapted to their quantitative scores.  As a result, users create an instant connection and follow-up opportunity. 

What were your goals for this project?

The project was to be done in a rapid time frame (under 90 days) and with a super simple user interface for administration, authoring and reporting. It had several complexities ranging from the survey design features to the data rights features. It had to be well done, with little guidance and on budget. It was a tall order.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I went through UpWork. I selected them after carefully reviewing, interviewing and studying about a dozen qualified vendors. I really liked their approach, their design expertise, their programming knowledge, their responsiveness, their flexibility and their cost. They checked all of the boxes that I was looking for in a partner for this project.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The FeedGap application has 4 main areas that were developed. One: There was an overall admin module that the owners use. This allows for master controls over data rights, assignments, and support. Two: Client authoring. This was a complex interface to design surveys, categories, questions and guidance that would appear after responses are submitted that drive unique guidance depending on the the unique response. Three: Reporting. There was reporting for respondents immediately after submitting data . It was color coded, it aggregated information and had to correctly present the right guidance. Reporting also had to download to PDF and CSV. Reporting also had to aggregate and re-calculate. So many moving parts. Four: Deployment. It had to be deployed in the Cloud. So the team helped me select the right hosting provider and then they did all of the setup and configuration and provided me detailed steps to maintain it in the future. This was something very new to me so they patiently answered my questions, configured and optimized the application and continue to answer questions even after the project was over.

What was the team composition?

I worked with one primary developer. He managed design, development, project management and testing. This helped me a lot as I did not have to deal with multiple people. I found my contact to be intelligent, innovative, professional, flexible, patient, experienced and helpful. He exceeded my expectations.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This was a startup project. But it was done in just about 60 days, not the 90 days I anticipated. The output is a simple tool that people now use with no training from me. They are able to do exactly what it was intended to do. It is helping create engagement between the survey taker and the survey author. Marketing, sales, consulting, recruiting, project management and operations can use it. Go to www.feedgap.com and in the middle of the page you can sample it. Fill out surveys from end-to-end to see the work. To date, if I have a question they always respond even well after the project ended.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The first 3 parts had to have design and development. They took a complex set of notes I gave them and rapidly evolved them into a rationale and reasonable design. After a few tweaks they moved to development and always kept me informed and asked my feedback along the way. Testing was a process whereby I had over 100 test points and they patiently, proactively and rapidly addressed each and every point until they were all resolved. It was one of the best processes I have ever experienced and I have worked on technical projects for many years. So to me, their project management was beyond my expectations. They picked up on things easily, quickly and naturally. This saved me tons of time and cost.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was stunned by their knowledge and how quickly they could take something I wrote and turn it into a design that was accurate. I then was stunned by how they turned a design into a working tool. After that the testing process was one where I was super confident they would move through that well and they did. When deployment came they were consultative, communicative and supportive. Each step along the way was really well done. They maintained professionalism, expertise, flexibility, and creativity all along and that is what was so great.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not really. Like I said I still reach out to them not for anything bad but to get their opinions on things that users may want or ask for. I see them as extensions of my team as trusted partners and friends. I would 100% use them again when I do more with this tool or build something new.