Random Otter

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner/operator of Lyfe Gym located in Johnston, IA. Lyfe Gym is a unique offering in the fitness space in that we have single person private rooms that are booked on a time increment basis for our members to reserve based upon their schedule.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Random Otter?

Random Otter was contracted to develop the Lyfe Gym App that our member use to set up an account, book private rooms, pay for the private rooms, and built in smart key technology allows access to the facility and rooms.

What were your goals for this project?

Built an intuitive mobile application that will enable review, booking, purchase and access to our private fitness rooms.

SOLUTION

How did you select Random Otter?

After performing a search of local development companies I selected four companies to hold meetings with to develop the concept and costs associated with the project. Criteria used to select a developer was candor, responsiveness, creativity, experience, solution orientation, nimbleness, and cost. Of the developers that I met with two were leading candidates but Random Otter stood out for this project.

They are a small team with ambitions to match my goals, the interactions were inspiring and it became obvious they were going to be as dedicated as I was to the project.

Describe the project in detail.

The main criteria for this project was to develop a mobile application that can run on the two main platforms of Android and iOS. We needed stability and the ability to evolve to application as user preference became more clear. Additional hurdles were with integration of a payment portal as well as a mobile smart key system.

AWS was selected to host the server side of the application. Initial application rendering was provided and Random Otter worked with us to develop wireframing and UI standardization and clarity. Once the basic concept was agreed upon we set out to produce an MVP to get the experience in to user hands to solicit feedback while the back end was being developed. Lastly integration of the payment processing system and mobile smart key system were applied.

This was followed by extensive testing and troubleshooting. Once product launch was imminent Random Otter published the application to the respective app stores and continued with development and version releases as modifications to the mobile application were made. Continues support with data management and user metrics is ongoing.

What was the team composition?

Random Otter supplied two persons to this project one being primary contact.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

User feedback as been excellent with the app being described as smooth, easy, handy, understandable, and convenient. We are a start-up so I don't have any metrics pre-launch but the application has exceeded my expectations. Onboarding users has been nearly flawless with every instance of issue being from the user side.

There have been no report of crashing or loss in functionality by any user. Initially there were some bugs with the smart key functionality and integration in the security system. Random Otter worked closely with the security integration team to quickly resolve the bugs, many of which were uncovered by Random Otter's team as we have a somewhat unique integration environment.

Random Otter when above and beyond to ensure that the integration was smooth and that the user experience did not suffer. To take things even further the technology for the smart key system was newly released and we were the first integrators so they worked closely with the security development team to understand the system and ensure a responsive and secure implementation.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We extensively used Microsoft Teams, Video Conferencing, File Sharing, and email to maintain a constant line of communication. Random Otter was responsive, concise and deliberate in their communication. They recorded all of their work in tracking software and supplied detailed explanation with every invoice. App features and bugs were logged and recorded in Trello.

There were vendors and collaborations that included international teams and Random Otter was responsive and active in all lines of communication. It was supremely helpful that they could bridge the gap between my understanding of software development and the teams that I was working with, I can easily state that their presence in the meetings and collaborations significantly increased the efficacy of the collaborations.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Random Otter easily matched my progress and drive. Matching fervor with a start-up entrepreneur shows that the passion they have for the products they create is difficult to find or reproduce in many of the larger firms that I interacted with. Random Otter was 100% on board from the moment I said "go" and I was often the one playing catch-up and at no point did I feel as though my progress was being held back by them, in fact it was quite the contrary at times.

Every hurdle that I threw at them they quickly ideated solutions, potential implementation pathways and cost benefit conversations.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I wish I could come up with areas for improvement but my expectations were exceeded across the board. Random Otter is and remains one of the best decisions that I took with this project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the safety and compliance officer for a subcontractor for the post office. We basically haul mail for the US Postal Service.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Random Otter?

We needed help with modernizing our website and keeping it up to date.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Random Otter built our website on AWS. It contains information on all of our shops. We wanted to make it easier for someone to contact us, so they featured our dispatchers’ contact details. There’s also a page where people can apply to be a driver for us. They continue to update our site when we want to put something up.

What is the team composition?

I work primarily with Jacob and Hunter (Co-Owners). They both handled the web design and development. 

How did you come to work with Random Otter?

They brought over a template, and we really liked it. Random Otter also had very competitive pricing. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $14,000–$15,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working in December 2020, and it’s still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're pleased with the website. Since it went live, we've brought in quite a few applicants who went through using the website's application process. It's definitely easier to find drivers than it was before.

How did Random Otter perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been really good at meeting deadlines and communicating when they needed something from us. Working with them is incredibly easy. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of work for the price that they're charging is outstanding. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything off the top of my head. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Tell them what you're looking for, and let them use their imagination to bring it to life. They're pretty good at knowing the best way to get it done.