Rocket Lab

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder and director of a company called Sports Where I Am. Our international service allows people to explore and enjoy sports in a new city they're traveling to, and we provide all the information for them to do so in a distinct and efficient way.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rocket Lab?

We wanted to build a mobile app to go with our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our app from scratch for both Android and iOS. The project started over two years ago, and Rocket Lab's been a critical part of our team. They provided the technical work, plus consulting and support.

Our app uses geolocation to show you the nearest city's page and provides a list of upcoming events in chronological order. From there you can select an event to view venue information, read advice from local fans, or purchase tickets.

Ticket purchasing was a major feature we wanted, so Rocket Lab developed a custom e-commerce platform for us. They efficiently collated a number of APIs and inputs that now allow a user to shop on the spot through our platform. It was quite complex as we needed to make sales in multiple currencies and coordinate multiple vendors' ticket inventories. They also stepped in to design our e-commerce UX/UI after we parted ways with another firm.

What is the team composition?

Their founder, Julien Lamy, is our main point of contact, and then he manages his team of developers and designers who help us with the app. We've also worked directly with a member of his team on SEO.

How did you come to work with Rocket Lab?

Our CTO was familiar with Rocket Lab prior to working for us, and then we did some additional research on companies that would be a good fit for us. We ultimately chose them over several other companies based on the results of our initial meetings.

How much have you invested with them?

Our most recent project cost around $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them sometime in 2014. They're heavily involved in our business and will be for a long time to come.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are just going live with version 2 of our app now, but our beta testers have been impressed with the overall flow and functionality of the e-commerce system.

We've dealt with many design and development companies throughout the lifespan of our business and I can categorically say that Rocket Lab is the most responsive. They deliver the highest quality work in the shortest timeframe out of all the companies we've dealt with. They're very reliable and haven't had any delays. We're very happy with the most recent project. It's been bigger than we expected, but that's due to how many vendors and APIs we're using. Rocket Lab's been quick to handle any changes or extra requirements -- they always have the resources on staff to assist us.

How did Rocket Lab perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very flexible and willing to adapt to our organizational needs since they're based in Sydney and we're in Melbourne. We use Skype and Slack regularly, but we've also had face-to-face contact, and sometimes we'll email or talk on the phone. They do a great job meeting the end-to-end requirements of our business.

Their ability to strategize is also a major strength. Julien and his team have probably saved us time and money by anticipating issues or errors that might arise further along the process. They're experienced at running large projects and don't jump in without analyzing the data or information you share.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I've been impressed by their customer service and by their ability to rise to every challenge we've encountered so far. Specifically, they responded well to taking over the design work midstream after we had problems with the previous designers.

They also instill a sense of confidence, because you can trust their work to function correctly. A lot of times when we send things out for QA it's riddled with errors, but Rocket Lab clearly has a solid internal testing process because their work almost always comes back as expected.

One of their other strengths is their ability to excel across a variety of areas, including app development, SEO, design, UX/UI, and web development. They're like a one-stop shop for any business that wants to have a brilliant online presence, measure success, and experience growth.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We have built immense trust with Rocket Lab over the years, to the point that sometimes we get them to engage in projects without us requesting fully itemised quotes. They could be more proactive in ensuring that we are fully aware of the scope and expected costs of such projects, but as mentioned this may be more a point to improve in our overall working relationship, not specific to Rocket Lab. Their pricing is competitive from when we last did a market review, they are not the cheapest but you can’t have good and fast and cheap. They are not the most expensive either. We feel we get a good, fast and well-priced service with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d recommend meeting in person early on, if possible, because that really helped us going forward. If you can’t, definitely have a face-to-face video conference. Beyond that, be clear with your requirements, but also open to suggestions. Rocket Lab is very experienced and they often notice things that weren't on your radar initially. Take advantage of all their services and allow them to have their own input because they're creative and forward-thinking.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Salmat is a marketing services company delivering catalogs around Australia and running call centers. My position is head of applications. I oversee most of the development testing and support activities within the organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rocket Lab?

We have 15,000 walkers who deliver catalogs to homes. We wanted to develop a mobile app in 6 months on Android and iOS that would allow us to speed up and simplify the process of our distributors accepting contracts to do the walks, and then being able to track them so we could get GPS plots and provide an audit trail.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The existing ERP system was a Java platform, and using React Native to build the app seemed to make sense. Then it was about learning the skills to build the app, integrate it with the backend, and build out the web API within that ERP system to allow the app to communicate with it.

We didn't have the React Native skills, but we had a development team that was keen to learn. We needed a consultant architect who could come in and make sure the team was building the solution in the right way, review their code, and provide general guidance and mentoring to ensure that we would deliver a solid, robust solution.

Rocket Lab added that capability to our existing development team, which was the primary focus of the 6-month engagement.

What is the team dynamic?

We had one of their top technical guys, Maxime [CTO, Rocket Lab], allocated to us 3 days a week. That fit us in terms of him supplementing our team and providing the skillset and capacity we needed. He worked remotely in our offices and became part of our Scrum team for the delivery of the app.

How did you come to work with Rocket Lab?

We had major challenges trying to find a company to assist us with this. I ended up looking for a small company that could provide us with dedicated staff augmentation resources. I came across Rocket Lab by googling them. They were very responsive and keen to come in and chat. They understood what we were trying to do, that we wanted to retain control over the development.

Ultimately, they proved themselves by not getting up to commit to a lengthy contract. They came on board the project for a week or two so we could try them out. It was quickly apparent that Maxime and the backup at Rocket Lab were delivering what we wanted.

We went from a temporary engagement to one more substantial. We locked in a 3-month period and then another. The development team went from being skeptical to wanting the engagement to go through to the end.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $100,000–$130,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We were working with them since November or December 2016 until delivery of the first version of the app around June 2017. That's when we made the decision that we wouldn't require them to be on anymore. We would bring them back in if we needed to, but we haven't.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We delivered the project on time and exceeded the business expectations. We were worried about the uptake of this app by the distributors, but we've achieved an 80% uptake of the app, an improvement from 50%. From that perspective, it's achieved what we wanted quickly and has gone beyond that now.

The app needed to work across a whole range of devices and users, and Rocket Lab did that. There's certainly been a great deal of positive feedback about the app, even if people aren't so keen on what we're doing because people don't like being tracked. We were expecting more negative feedback because of that. But it delivers on what people need it to do, and it's easy to use.

They've also helped get our resources up to speed and productive in that environment. It's a reflection of our budget and the ability of our team to now being a self-standing team to continue the work.

How did Rocket Lab perform from a project management standpoint?

They're brilliant in terms of what we brought them on to do and their ability to deliver on that and manage us. There were no issues at all. We primarily used Google Hangouts for the calls around the team. Otherwise, we used email and phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It was their flexibility: they allowed us to work the way we wanted to work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are none that I can think of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them a try. That proved beneficial to us. Be open, talk through your goals and challenges, and understand how best Rocket Lab can fit in and work with you to achieve those goals. Trust them to deliver the technical expertise that you're after.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We provide software as a service to a specific vertical in the Australian marketplace. I am the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rocket Lab?

We had a strong tech team, but no one on staff was focused in the React Native space. Our APIs [Application Programming Interfaces] are extensive, and we considered hiring our own in-house React Native developer, but we had very little time to bring a product to market. For commercial reasons, we needed to get something up and running. We needed a team with UI experience to help us through our workflows.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

All of their involvement was in our app. We didn’t have any offline capability in the web app, so we could run a database platform for clients. We had a lot of requirements to meet our standards. The app itself is quite data intensive and needs to be managed without re-engineering or any unnecessary waste of hours.

Rocket Lab built out the app to a point. Once we had the major core completed, we took it back. They helped us align everything to meet our MVP [Minimum Viable Product] requirements. We are still working on the app internally, but they played an important role in the build.

What is the team dynamic?

We worked with three people from their team. Julian [Founder & CEO, Rocket Lab] was our original contact, and Ludo [Senior UX/UI Designer, Rocket Lab] was our UI lead. Maxime [Project Manager, Rocket Lab] was the one who managed the project.They managed their portions independently and interfaced with our internal staff for daily standups and tasks.

How did you come to work with Rocket Lab?

I researched a few providers in the space. They had done this sort of work before, and the evaluation process made me comfortable with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $80,000 Australian [$60,462 US].

What is the status of this engagement?

We brought them into the project in April 2017 and worked with them until July.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The product accompanies our existing SAAS [software as a service] product, so it’s difficult to quantify its direct impact. It does help us retain our subscriber base and reduce turnover. It also engages new potential customers. I introduced many moving parts and team members across multiple locations. There was a lot of complexity in this project, and Rocket Lab was always professional.

How did Rocket Lab perform from a project management standpoint?

They were responsive and were always on the ball. They ran everything with no problems, and I had complete confidence in them. We communicated with the app team via a Slack channel and had daily standups over Skype. We used Jira for ticket tracking and did everything else by email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I looked at three different providers, but they gave me that comfort factor. They had experience in this space, which put me at ease. Outsourcing this part of the project was a risk, but it worked out well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was a little confusion at the beginning, but that was mainly because they joined in the middle of the project. The whole experience would have been different if we had them on the project from start to finish.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear brief. Make sure both sides understand what is to be delivered.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the sales program manager at James Hardie, which manufactures fiber cement for both residential and commercial development. We partner with distributors, builders, and contractors. I manage our B2B marketing team.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with RocketLab?

We provide financial support for our line partners – which they use to grow their businesses – and needed a platform to manage those funds. Additionally, the platform was needed for sales teams to place orders and management to monitor and facilitate transactions on it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The platform functions as a website with individual accounts for each of our partners’ account managers. Our backend stores financial data. The account structure is similar to airlines’ frequent flyer programs because it tracks sales to distributors and builders, which are linked to the funds we disperse.

What is the team dynamic?

I interact with Julien [Founder, RocketLab] and a few others on his team.

How did you come to work with RocketLab?

They are the successor firm to the one that previously managed our backend and development. Julien worked for that company and founded RocketLab after his employer went into liquidation.

We trusted Julien because he knew our platform and accounts intimately. I already had a good relationship with him, which made RocketLab a natural fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $300,000 AUD.

What is the status of this engagement?

The collaboration started approximately 4 years ago at the company’s founding. The work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Results are not quantifiable. Qualitatively, they’ve done a sterling job updating the platform on a rolling basis. Improvements are consistent with our business model, which hasn’t changed since launching the platform. It’s a first-class product.

How did RocketLab perform from a project management standpoint?

They met tight deadlines with responsive communication and expert coordination. The team used a log and email response system to field requests; they followed up promptly. I emailed Julien directly anytime I needed to elevate an action item.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Julien runs a responsive and competitive team with a hands-on approach, which is why I’ve been with them for years. I feel like a valued customer, not a number.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could be more proactive with web development improvement. To date, they’ve been reactive to my requests. However, I’ve never asked them to adjust this behavior.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Build a rapport with Julien. Have a detailed brief and know your expectations.