Rare Crew

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are IT solutions and services provider. There are 3 core activity areas: software development; hiring support for IT companies; and STEM coaching for children. We are based in Bengaluru, India and work mainly with organizations and children in Bengaluru. Our organizational clients range from startups to large organizations whose development arms need talent sourcing support. I am an executive.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Rare Crew?

We were looking for solutions to streamline and automate our internal processes. Our goals were: to eliminate the use of spreadsheets for routine processes and reporting to bring consistency in periodic reporting wrt repetitive activities to have on common platform for all three disparate business activities of the company

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We have used several enterprise solutions in the past. This time, we were clear that we will not build/arrange for a custom-made solution, but look for a ready proven solution. We evaluated small-market to mid-market SaaS solutions, both Indian and foreign.

We wanted a platform that was configurable, scaleable, affordable and supported by a reliable vendor. We chose Vault-ERP from Rare Crew due to it scoring high on all the four dimensions. We were impressed with the customer retention track record of Rare Crew, and its attention to solid engineering and amazing UX.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

The project scope was that the Rare Crew would understand our organization and processes, and then set up the Vault-ERP accordingly. They configured the system in line with our special needs, and coached us about how to do ongoing product administration & maintenance. The vendor team coached us adequately and gave us the required documentation. It was a delight to get access to the full real-time dump of all the data in the system.

We take frequent downloads of this in MS-Excel and perform a lot of pivot table analysis. As a Saas product, we use the product on an Internet browser and the reports are available in pdf or spreadsheet form. We do not use any other enterprise application. From leave management through timesheet reporting to monthly payroll creation, all the datasets are readily accessible for the individual employee or manager as relevant.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We had three people work with us, and they were Program Manager, Techno-functional Consultant, Trainer/Support Representative

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had four goals for a platform of this type. We have been satisfied on all these. What stands out is the responsiveness to our queries and support tickets. New features have been provided to use without unnecessarily increasing our monthly rentals.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The Rare Crew team followed a simple agile method; we had a clear understanding of the work scope and delivery timelines; and Rare Crew used their own product in communicating with us. We need to add here that they were friendly and professional in all their dealings. The product is excellent for our needs, and the people we interact with us are equally excellent and a delight to work with!

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The company runs like clockwork. However, there is great passion and enthusiasm that animates all that they do. They keep reminding us that it is great people that make great technology that works for people!

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

They can bring out the product in a few Indian and Asian languages too. We can promote the product to more companies in our partner network domestically and abroad.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a business analyst at a media company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rare Crew?

We needed help with CRM development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Rare Crew fully developed and designed a web-based CRM event management system for our company's multiple divisions. Since our system was intended to accommodate many groups, their team integrated third-party systems like Adobe and SAP for design and finance purposes, respectively. We asked Rare Crew to implement features that enabled invoice issuance, commission payment, and other custom solutions that allowed our users to create their own event models.

Once they completed the prototypes based on our requirements, Rare Crew sent these over for our team's approval. They then proceeded with the development stage, and our team kicked off the go-live soon after. 

Our system is already up and running, but we continue to rely on Rare Crew's app maintenance services and ask them to develop new functionalities on an as-needed basis.

What is the team composition?

We work with one contact person and their CRM developers.

How did you come to work with Rare Crew?

They were already working for our company before I was onboarded.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement with Rare Crew commenced in August 2013.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Rare Crew has successfully implemented all our app's features — even the smallest functionalities have drastically improved our UX. They've easily built a sophisticated product despite our challenging requirements. The third-party systems are all reliable and lag-free, and each architecture solution has been executed in a sleek manner. 

While the product is already good as it is, Rare Crew unceasingly develops new solutions to improve our system and get rid of any bugs that can impede its performance. We can rely on their maintenance services to refine our offering for an even better customer experience.

How did Rare Crew perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via email and Microsoft teams and rely on Jira for project management. Rare Crew is a proactive team that constantly attends to our needs through their organized ticketing system. They've built a reliable project management system, which helps streamline everything for us despite our time zone differences.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Rare Crew's deep understanding of CRM architecture and foundations is apparent in each deliverable they produce — this is amplified by their commitment to considering risks and mitigations before finalizing any solution. We're pleased to be working with a team that has mastered the art of UI/UX design and software development.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s always room for improvement — Rare Crew can benefit from refined skills in resource management. There've been instances wherein we've dealt with staffing issues because they're handling multiple systems at the same time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Define your requirements and communicate closely with Rare Crew's team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the director of the Civic Association KOLESO ZÁCHRANY which was established in 2012. The aim of our organization is to help and support socially weaker families, individuals and groups that are in critical situations e.g.: mothers with children, men, the unemployed, children from children's homes, halfway houses, homeless people, etc. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Rare Crew, and what were your goals?

Because we’re a non-profit organization, we rely on help from our partners. Rare Crew helped us with the implementation of our website.

They helped from a graphics and coding point of view and were committed to paying the monthly fees for the running of our website.

SOLUTION

How did you select Rare Crew and what were the deciding factors?

We got a referral on Rare Crew. From the very beginning they were open to helping our non-profit organization. We were pleasantly surprised when they offered to support us.

Not only did they help with the implementation of the website, but they were also willing to pay the monthly costs. They're still willing to help with any changes that need to be made.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We had a kick-off meeting where I presented the project brief and a full list of requirements. Rare Crew then went away to assess what needed to be done and provided us with a solution and improvements.

After the design was agreed, Rare Crew went about developing the site. We had no issues with Rare Crew as they were easy to communicate with and were productive. There were no further problems with the website.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

The main contact I had with Rare Crew was with the Project Manager. The communication went very smoothly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The website has been working properly since the project was done, we’ve had no issues there.

I have to say that having a working website with all the necessary information is key for our organization. The website also helped spread awareness of the services we provide.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

Main form of communication was done via phone or email. Once the timeline was agreed, they ensured they met all the deadlines. As I previously described, we didn’t observe any issues, unprofessionalism, or delays.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They didn't hesitate and immediately agreed to cooperate with us even though it was a cost for them.

Our work continued and they were also part of some other nonprofit activities. The CEO of Rare Crew helped us a lot and also personally helped a few families in need.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I don’t have anything negative to say about Rare Crew. They’re very professional but also displayed their human side, which is natural for them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Product Owner within the Data Services department of my company. I was responsible for the setting up of this project from our company's side.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Rare Crew, and what were your goals?

Our team specializes in all things data, and there is a focus on collecting data and providing analysis and reporting for our external clients.

Displaying this data in a user friendly way was a challenge for us due to the software we use, so we required a new website or portal to be created in order to host these reports we'd previously created.

We required a site to host these reports via embedding them into the new site, and the administration and user management abilities that usually come with a website of this type.

SOLUTION

How did you select Rare Crew and what were the deciding factors?

We have an ongoing working relationship with Rare Crew for completely separate side of the business, unrelated to web development. Because of this relationship we knew they were reliable and trustworthy, and when we were presented with the quote it was reasonable and within our budget.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We had a kick-off meeting where I presented the project brief, including scope, deliverables and full list of requirements. Rare Crew then went away to assess what needed to be done, and provide us with a quote for the work.

After the cost and timeline were agreed, Rare Crew went about implementing the project by developing the site. Communication was relatively ad-hoc, and we didn't request any different. When things were complete, we were notified, and were also given early access to test the site ourselves.

Additional changes to scope were accommodated for quickly, with a fast turnaround. Any bugs that I raised were also addressed quickly, sometimes within 1-2 days.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I was happy to keep a hands-off approach on the day-to-day running of the project, therefore am unsure on how many developers/testers were used on the project. The main contacts I had with the vendor was with the Graphic Designer (when we were agreeing on the scope of what the screens would look like), the vendor's Project Manager and the vendor's Technical Architect/Lead Dev.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The site has only just been completed at time of writing this review, so I can't give feedback on how our clients are enjoying the site at the moment.

What I can say is that through my own testing of the site, and from uploading reports to this in preparation of sharing to our clients, the user journey we now have thanks to this website is night and day compared to our previous user journey using the tools we had.

This will make a stark difference to our company, and is just the start of where we can go with the application. Having this website will allow us to hit our objectives for next year, with outreach to external clients and building on those existing relationships.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

From the Project Management perspective, Marian was in charge of communication between his team and me. The timeline was agreed at time of quotation, and this timeline was met by Rare Crew, including some additional changes we asked for during the project. Main communication was done via email, and conference calls when required.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Having worked with other vendors in the past for various services, the thing that impressed me most about Rare Crew was the quick turnaround, and communication throughout.

There were times when I raised a bug or an issue, and it was resolved the next day. I know from previous experience with other vendors this is not always the case , but this quick turnaround and communication throughout made me feel that my project was a priority to Rare Crew.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I can genuinely say that there is nothing at this time I can put as an answer for this question. We look forward to continuing to work with Rare Crew if and when we need additional scope added to our site.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Learfield IMG College is a multimedia and visual media company working predominately in the college athletic space. That includes ticketing, signage, food vendors, and more. 

As a marketing manager, I focus on our internal operations to develop best practices around campaigns and ideas for our various sponsorship clients. I also work to upkeep our internal database system for our sellers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rare Crew?

We were looking to create a new presentation platform that could accommodate roughly 600 sellers across the country.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Rare Crew developed a presentation platform that could streamline the design process. With the solution, our sellers could access pre-built assets that allowed them to design professional-looking products at their own pace. 

This turnkey approach would prevent our sellers from spending a lot of time creating something from scratch. The solution would also reduce the need to hire graphic designers who might not know exactly what our sellers wanted to build.

The platform rolled out about six months ago, and we’re now working on backend analytics features to get feedback on our sellers’ presentations. That would include who’s viewing the content, how much time they’re spending on it, and where they’re spending time within the presentation — just to get more information about our sponsors and their audience.

What is the team composition? 

I work with a team of four, including a main point of contact and three lead developers. There’s also a much larger team behind them working on our products.

How did you come to work with Rare Crew?

They’d done some work for a sister company of ours, so they came recommended. After talking to them about what we were looking to build, we figured that had the most resources to handle our project without costing an arm and a leg.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July 2019, and the engagement is ongoing. We have more projects going on with them, now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re only within the first six months of roll-out, but the platform has definitely changed the way our business works. Our sellers are using it on a daily basis. As we get more user feedback and better understand how people actually behave on the platform, we’ll work to improve the product.

How did Rare Crew perform from a project management standpoint?

We predominately talk through email, weekly phone calls, and Microsoft Teams — basically whatever channel will work at that moment. We also have a shared document where we put in notes about bugs or future features. It keeps us more accountable than an email change and helps aggregate comments into one place.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to deliver on our baseline product has been great, and they do it in a relatively quick timeframe. 

For the most part, it’s been easy for us to tell them what we’re looking for and have them come back with a solution. That’s especially impressive considering that we’re building something that doesn’t really exist anywhere else. It’s not like they can go borrow pieces of things; it’s all fresh code.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The hardest part for us is dealing with the time zone difference. When they’re leaving for the day, the majority of our sales force is coming in. So, if we have any issues throughout the day, we don’t really have a help desk to go to for support. That’s been tough during the product launches.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP for the global development team of a media, entertainment, and fashion group.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rare Crew?

We had an in-house team of business analysts, but we didn’t have internal technical expertise. We hired Rare Crew to help us deliver a suite of different applications.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Rare Crew not only provided software and mobile development, but also UX/UI consulting, project management, and QA testing. We work with Rare Crew across multiple different projects at any given time.

In one instance, they built a custom client management system. They provided detailed visual graphic designs and executed integrations with third-party applications (like an electronic signature system).

What is the team composition?

We work with around 2–15 people on any given project. The team size depends on the complexity of the task and the size of the budget.

How did you come to work with Rare Crew?

By reference. Some of the Rarecrew team have worked with our employees in previous work history. We’d had some positive experiences in our initial dealings with them, and we’ve trusted them since.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since January 2012.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve become our go-to partner. Their support has allowed us to be more efficient and nimbler in terms of producing successful outcomes. The turnaround between request to delivery has been amazingly reduced, while the quality of the work hasn’t been compromised at all. They’re a thoughtful team that analyzes the solution, delivers alternatives, and helps us pivot when it’s necessary.

How did Rare Crew perform from a project management standpoint?

They go above and beyond. We’ve never had much difficulty in reaching them since they’re very responsive. Their team is polite and professional, even fun to work with. They’re also quite upfront about any issues that they run into, and we appreciated that level of transparency.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very accommodating and responsive. They put a lot of pride in their work, which reflects in the results.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m generally very happy with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d really recommend them to anybody.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a business analyst for a multi-business unit company that specializes in different areas around the media. We have an events division, which has mass participation events, and we also have a stake in the art world. We also own another group, an agency that looks after hairstylists, makeup artists, and that kind of area. Those artists work directly with celebrities. It is highly diverse, and we have an army of entertainment agents as well, and those are agents for movie stars, sports stars. We are heavily involved in sports as well. It is a big network of different workstreams and sections of the media.

In terms of my role, my primary focus is to manage software development for a few divisions.

I look after the software needs that those entities require. I’ll take all of their requests, do the analysis, and I’ll work with stakeholders directly to fine-tune what it is that they are looking for. I will also help in terms of their process just to make sure that the software will do what they need it to do, and when I say process, I am talking about logging sales, invoicing them, and if there is anything contractual.

It is making sure that the systems that these divisions use are up to scratch, and I will basically manage the relationship with our software developers, and manage their time and make sure that they are building the spec. The other half of that role is communicating with the stakeholders and managing their expectations and the whole process really from start to finish.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rare Crew?

Rare Crew is our development partner across multiple divisions. I am relatively fresh for this particular project. I was brought in specifically to finish a mini project that had started in January of this year. The development work was completed in February, but for many reasons, since February, they couldn’t get the work that had been done released to be live so that people could actually start using what had been built.

There were different reasons for that, and the business was completely focused on damage control. I was brought on in July to finish the project and actually get it out there so that the group and their users could start to use it. It was effectively stuck in purgatory for a while and needed to be released. I came in and did the coordination for that to happen, which involved testing, communication, and the whole roll out basically.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their main involvement in this particular instance was the development and testing. It is all built on a .NET framework. There were around 40 items of development that were delivered.

What is the team composition?

I work primarily with one person. He is the Rare Crew coordinator for this project. On his side, he will then speak directly to the developers on the project to relay requirements, fix issues, and other things. It streamlines all communication.

What is the status of this engagement?

I have been working with them since July 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The impact has been extremely well-received. I have no qualms in saying that was has been delivered has been of a very high standard. It was a necessity for the business. It is all positive, and as far as I know, it’s all good.

I’m going to continue looking after that specific group indefinitely. This project has now been assigned to me, so whilst the tool has been there for the last few years, there are still initiatives and improvements that are sitting in the development pipeline that we are going to carry on delivering.

It might be that we do incremental releases for the next few months. I know that there is something fairly major coming in the next month or two, and it will be my job to deliver that, and then it will just be incremental improvements that will carry on until such a time where they see it as though they don’t need anything else.

How did Rare Crew perform from a project management standpoint?

We primarily use Microsoft Teams, and we get standard communication through email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are extremely proactive and extremely knowledgeable. I have experience working with them on other projects, and they just go above and beyond on everything I have ever worked with them on.

The team is all eager to please, very easy to work with, communication is always very good and always very clear. I think the main thing is that they go above and beyond. They always have our organization’s best interests at the forefront of everything they do.

Whilst they are an external third party, we don’t really look at them that way and they are more partners than anything. It almost feels like an internal relationship as opposed to a traditional third-party one.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think in relation to this project, myself and the person I am working with are just starting to dance with each other because it has only been since the end of July. He knows that I have a specific way of working and I will be making changes in terms of how things currently work with the project we are working on.

It is difficult for me to say, but there are always areas of improvement, but I can’t question the quality of the development work they do or anything from a technical perspective and communication is always good. In relation to this project, it isn’t something where I can’t state any areas that need improving because it is still early days working with them on this project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior business analyst for an entertainment agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rare Crew?

We needed help in building some internal tools, such as a CRM system.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Rare Crew has developed a diverse array of CRM apps for us, building them from scratch — front- to backend. They’ve executed web-based solutions as well as mobile applications that integrate into larger CRM solutions. Typically, they build a solution that gets integrated into larger financial software, like SAP.

In one project, they integrated a booking solution into our talent listings, allowing individuals to book them for different jobs.

What is the team composition?

I work with 2–5 people on a weekly basis. The project coordinators interact with us and communicate with the team, some of whom don’t speak English very well.

How did you come to work with Rare Crew?

They were hired by a former employee, so I can’t speak to the selection process. We’ve continued the engagement, however, and they serve as our large-scale development partner.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around December 2013, and it’s an ongoing partnership.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve developed tools that have made our employees’ lives easier, especially as our company continues to scale. They’ve made some critical integrations of our database, which have dramatically streamlined our operations.  

How did Rare Crew perform from a project management standpoint?

We have daily video calls. We used Jira but recently switched to an inhouse tool that they built for us. Otherwise, we communicate via Microsoft Teams, Skype, and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have excellent service and skills, ultimately delivering exactly what was requested. The employees all share a positive attitude and feel like they’re part of our team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything specific. They overcome difficulties well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a business and IT systems analyst for an entertainment company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rare Crew?

We needed help developing a custom CRM system.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve supported our CRM development. They assisted in migrating our previous Microsoft Dynamics solution to a .NET. After building out an entirely new architecture, they enhanced and developed our sales and accounting modules.

What is the team composition?

We usually work with two teammates.

How did you come to work with Rare Crew?

I wasn’t directly involved in hiring them, so I don’t have insight into the process.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2013 and have an ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve overseen a seamless transition, and their support has been excellent. The new architecture boasts multiple features and complex plugins. In addition, their turnaround for development and problem resolution has been amazing.

How did Rare Crew perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a project coordinator who handles PM, which is overseen via Jira.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re dependable and have good technical knowledge. They anticipate potential issues and proactively deliver multiple solutions. Over time, they’ve gained and demonstrated an in-depth knowledge of our product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so. They’ve executed upon our expectations.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They have expertise in all areas, so I can confidently rely on them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Application Architect

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Rare Crew, and what were your goals?

Custom Software Development

SOLUTION

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

about 4; all software developers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Feature deliveries are very well organized and predictable across development and deployment resources. Communications on release deliveries are comprehensive and follow Agile practices. What is especially remarkable is the team's ability to react quickly to our customer's needs; we often have to blow up a sprint to accommodate regulatory changes and the team always responds and delivers.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Agile primarily, which is great for software development. It provides our customer with consistent feature deliveries which they appreciate. All work is documented as work items and the team is very good at understanding the requirements as defined, but also never afraid to reach out for clarification. They really handle the backlog well.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their ability to deliver when they say they will. Very transparent about challenges, and very good at getting things right the first time. Many offshore development teams struggle with understanding the requirements and don't think outside the COA's when delivering features. RC absolutely understands software development and will automatically add or recommend implied requirements.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I don't think so. I think their process works very well. They manage the backlog expertly and deliver working software. When I review a release candidate, it is a very very rare occurrence that something got missed or misinterpreted by the team.