Shockoe

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am an architect in the IT department at a utilities company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Shockoe?

We wanted to put together a customer-facing app.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Shockoe conducted research by reaching out to our customers to get feedback on the design process. They then provided design consulting, performed some project management functions, and worked with our team to develop the iOS and Android mobile app.

They added functionality that allows users to report electrical outages and get feedback on the restoration status.

What is the team composition?

Although we have a single point of contact, the team is made up of six members, 3–4 of whom we work with regularly.

How did you come to work with Shockoe?

They responded to a proposal that we put out and we chose them because we liked their expertise and approach.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested between $500,000–$1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2018. The bulk of the project was completed in November 2019 but they provide ongoing support.

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

We’re in the process of gathering general user feedback but the internal response has been positive. The app has been running smoothly and we’ve had few critical needs.

How did Shockoe perform from a project management standpoint?

The team communicates effectively and does a good job of sticking to commitments. They also send us project plans through PowerPoint and Excel.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are a good partner to work with and we appreciate their flexibility.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there is nothing that I can think of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re a strong partner in the mobile space but perhaps not in other areas of technology.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a home building organization.

What challenge were you trying to address with Shockoe?

They were hired to provide mobile application development and insight into our mobile experience.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with a discovery process around building an Android version of a pre-existing app. We’d developed an initial concept for an application, but after they went out and interviewed our users to discover what they wanted, we found that our initial concept wouldn’t be beneficial. They’ve also taken on support for three separate iOS apps that were built by a third-party vendor. In that process, they set up our own developer account to transition away from the vendor.

What is the team composition?

I’m working with Ashley (Project Manager, Shockoe) and Jim (Account Manager, Shockoe), and Justin (iOS Developer, Shockoe).

How did you come to work with Shockoe?

We worked with them three years ago on a different in-house application. This opportunity arose and they had a history of good work, so we reached out to them.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began in May 2019. The discovery process ended, but the maintenance and support projects are ongoing.

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

Shockoe’s user research efforts saved the company a significant amount of time, money, and effort. We often come up with development ideas and execute them without involving the users, so getting out there and talking to them was eye-opening and helpful. In the end, we avoided building the wrong thing, which was good.

How did Shockoe perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great. Ashley, the project manager, is very responsive to communication via email. There was also a weekly status meeting with the team. We also used Jira to talk to each other.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re doing a really good job and provide good advice. The developer account they set up has been particularly useful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing that comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be sure to give them as much information about the business as you can. That’s something that really went well. Taking the time to explain how the business works and what problems you have helps them craft the right application that makes sense.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the manager of a UX team at a freight services company. We work on all of the engineering and technical applications that service the company, its customers, and its contractors.

What challenge were you trying to address with Shockoe?

We have a native mobile application that supports our asset truck drivers that move our goods and services. Our development team built the app, while Shockoe helped us with the UX/UI design.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Misty (Director of Mobile Directory, Shockoe) works with their staff on the UX/UI of our driver app. The app helps support our drivers with their pay, safety points, schedules and allows them to communicate with the company and their fleet managers. It gives them a holistic view of how to do what they need to do in the most effective way possible.

Throughout the engagement, we worked with them on finding the right capacity to jump on app initiatives and features and then leaning on them to implement the best practices to achieve the best UX possible within the driver app.

Their team also assisted with some marketing aspects around the application and within our organization. If there was any graphic or web design work, it was involving the presence of the app in play stores and supporting the drive app online. We used all Adobe products on our side of the design. They mirrored our technical stack.

What is the team composition?

Misty acted as our project manager. Along with a team of designers, Samantha (Mobile UX/UI Designer, Shockoe) was one of the leaders on the project.

How did you come to work with Shockoe?

Before my time at the company, they were initially pulled in as a supplement to our UI team. From my understanding, Shockoe was chosen because of the emphasis they put on mobile development and design. Their team was also flexible in terms of supplying both of those skills. Our company leaned on them early on to assist in the launch of several of our native apps.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $100,000–$250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working in Shockoe in November 2015, and the engagement ended in July 2019.

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

Our engagement is practically ongoing. Misty and I speak once a month but unfortunately had to pull back on resources because of budgetary concerns. As long as the drive app exists in the App Store, or we have an offering for our user base, our relationship with Shockoe will remain.

We measured user acceptance of the drive app. With the UX/UI and features, it was paramount that their efforts would be well-received by our drivers. It was a superior execution. The team at Shockoe molded themselves as part of our team. They reviewed different incentives but remained true to being an advocate for our users and what we were trying to achieve.  

How did Shockoe perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, their team is excellent. We’re always kept in the loop, staying true to our pre-agreement. Misty was amazing at following-up, ensuring that her designers were on task. They were aware of what success looked like from our end, making sure that they stayed aligned with our goals.

Their team was flexible enough to work with certain technologies we had a prerequisite for within the Adobe catalog. Shockoe was apt and knowledgeable in regards to whatever the customer throws at them. All of their designers were well-versed in multiple toolkits.

Both Misty and Samantha were fantastic during the whole duration of the project, from finding the best UX practices to testing them. They were also instrumental in helping us understand complex interactions and putting those in place. Samantha was a standout in a consistent space between both of our teams.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are strong user advocates. Contractors are generally in between receiving information and servicing companies. Shockoe designed our user personas to foster them in the best way possible. They set a strong example against other providers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could be on site with us in Arkansas more, but culture is paramount. This falls back as a plus for them in a way. Keeping their designers engrained in their company culture was something we respected. They were always willing to travel to get more research around the user bases. Maybe just a little more consultant mobility on their side.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Misty and Samantha are excellent. Clients need to be well-organized when working with Shockoe. They’re professional and ready to work at high speed. They provide efficient designs and strong user advocacy.

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

My husband runs a summer basketball camp. I help to organize and run the camp with him.

What challenge were you trying to address with Shockoe? 

We needed help with our various technology pieces, particularly for camp registration.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Shockoe developed and designed a website for us, and then they updated it this past year.  They were able to add camp registration on the website and also help us troubleshoot. They also created an app that parents can add to their phones in order to monitor their kids' spending in our concession stands. They did not help us with marketing, but did give us some good tips on basic technology that we were unaware of.

What is the team composition? 

Our main contact is Edwin (CEO, Shockoe). He assigned a project manager for our account, which switched a couple of times over the last two years. 

How did you come to work with Shockoe? 

Shockoe was already working with the previous coach who ran the camps prior to us. 

What is the status of this engagement? 

Work started two years ago in the spring, and the engagement is ongoing.

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

What Shockoe has put in place for us has been very beneficial for registration purposes. The website makes it so easy and smooth for parents to register their kids for camp. Parents especially love the app; it's been fabulous. 

How did Shockoe perform from a project management standpoint? 

Shockoe is friendly and easy to work with. They're quick to answer our questions, and they're very knowledgeable about their products and services. We’re able to meet with them in person because their office is close to our camp. We also communicate by phone, email, and video conference. 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

I've never used a company like them before, but the number of services they offer is quite impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve? 

Before we took over, the camp had over 500 campers and a waitlist. We're operating at about half that amount of kids per week and no waitlist. Because we’re so much smaller, we have to evaluate whether or not their service is worth the cost. It's a lot of money. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Our overall experience has been great. What they have going is awesome and very easy to use for our business. The only question is if we can continue to afford using them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of technology for a large financial services company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Shockoe?

We’ve tackled several projects with Shockoe, most consisting of developing apps specific to supporting our workforce. Initially, we needed help driving the team in a strategic direction. Now our relationship has evolved, and we can call on them for projects requiring resources we don’t have.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our first project started when they brought us an idea for a room reservation application. Now, if we’re walking through the halls trying to book a room, we can do so very quickly. Additionally, we’ll call Shockoe when we need extra resources. When we bring them in, they work closely with the product owner to lay out the code development. They collaborate with multiple people on my team to determine the workflow before building. 

Most of the apps they create are native developments for iOS and Android. They use cross-platform tools for some of their work, but they’re really flexible in meeting the customer’s needs. For us, they use Swift and Java.

They also focus some of their attention on UI/UX design, allowing my team to bounce ideas off of them. We use them less in that area, but they provide some feedback where they see fit.   

What is the team composition?

Alex (COO & Partner, Shockoe) is my main point of contact, who works with my lead developer to align our work. In addition, there are 5–6 developers working on projects depending on our needs and their resource ability. It's never a challenge to get good resources from them, though.

How did you come to work with Shockoe?

They were part of our workforce technology team when I came on board. At the time, they built a dev team and provided guidance for us as we grew. They were really helpful in that role, so we kept the partnership. At this point, they help us when we either don’t have enough resources or are looking to embark on a longer-term project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2015, and still collaborate on projects now.

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

We’re still building out how we track stats across all of our apps, but their team checks in with us once every month so we can assess the quality of their work. They’re on point every time. We’ve never had a negative experience with them. 

How did Shockoe perform from a project management standpoint?

If we have questions or concerns, they’re great at clarifying. We have weekly calls that provide us with updates from the developers themselves. We also do leadership check-ins to make sure everything is running healthily. Otherwise, we communicate mostly over email. We have a lot of touchpoints, and I’m very happy with their responsiveness on all fronts. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their development resources are great, and we never struggle to access them. The team accommodates us when we can’t meet a start date or deadline, allowing us to pivot while making sure we’re quickly staffed and ready to go. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so. They’re quick to jump on tasks and reaching out is easy.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be as transparent as possible in initial meetings. The more information you’re able to provide, the better Shockoe will be at offering the right level of support.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a business analyst on the IT side for Southeastern Grocers.

What challenge were you trying to address with Shockoe?

We planned to build three different iterations of a mobile app to assist customers with their grocery shopping needs at three of our banner stores.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We crafted ideas of our app's ideal design, and Shockoe designed the user journey pages. They conducted a round of testing, used APIs from our internal developers, and gave us a QA build. After our team tested the app, we continued into the production phase. Over time, we have had to make substantial changes to our rewards programs providers, and Shockoe has coordinated the appropriate updates with each change. Our app is accessible for iOS and Android users, and they are able to create shopping lists, view and save coupons, and utilize the rewards system.

What is the team composition?

Our project manager, Rebecca, serves as our main contact with their team, but she also conducts some testing and troubleshooting tasks. She is the liaison between us and our software developer, the UX technician, and a few designers.

How did you come to work with Shockoe?

This proposal process occurred prior to me joining the project, but I believe we sent an RFP to several companies—some within Jacksonville, Florida, where we’re based, and some outside. Shockoe came with the best portfolio and the strongest references.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $1 million - $1.5 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in 2015 and is ongoing.

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

We receive positive user feedback from our focus groups, and our internal management is just as impressed. Of our roughly 450,000 total downloads, about 40% of our users are on iOS, and the remaining are using Android. We have about 150,000 active users, which we define as four or five uses per month per user. We can track page views and how often they clip coupons, which we also receive revenue from. From these measurables, we can easily determine the benefits to the customer of having a mobile app. We have confidence that these apps will bolster our mobile initiatives.

How did Shockoe perform from a project management standpoint?

We used TFS internally to track the project, but Shockoe was very good about providing detailed reports, as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We haven’t seen a lot of turnover with them. Our team has remained largely unchanged. We appreciate that consistency and believe it’s helped our projects succeed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

My only request would be more off-hours support. As it stands, I can only contact the project manager when we have a problem. However, I have communicated this challenge to them and they are aware of my feedback.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am an assistant professor in the music department at a public university on the East Coast.

What challenge were you trying to address with Shockoe?

I hired Shockoe to write code and develop an app that I could use for a research study.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I presented my basic ideas and the ideal functionalities for the app. The app is used to help musicians, primarily students but adults as well, be more efficient in their practice time. Shockoe was valuable in determining the final design and user experience for iOS. We conducted interviews with students that fit the profile of what my research subjects would look like to test my hypotheses and make sure we were building an intuitive app.

Once the app was complete, they put it through the appropriate testing measures. Once I began the research project, I relied on Shockoe to store the collected data on their servers.

What is the team composition?

Our main team consisted of Rebecca (project manager), Dan (immersive media lead), Justin (mobile developer), and Mason (UX designer). There was also a group behind the scenes that wrote code and assisted with testing, but we met with them less frequently.

How did you come to work with Shockoe?

I met one of the co-owners through a family member, and while we talked about work, he said he solved problems using mobile technology, and that always stuck with me. When this project came up, I had difficulty contacting firms that could design an app for a research project, as opposed to a commercial app. I reached out to Shockoe to gauge their interest, and it turned out they have several musicians on their staff. They are not professional musicians, but they were people that could speak my language, and they were excited about the project. They also had experience working with state universities, so they understand that our timelines are sometimes slow-moving. Those aspects combined with the previous examples of their work made them the frontrunner.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $28,000-$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our project ran from August 2017 until March 2018.

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

The research study subjects have responded well to the app’s usefulness. It’s had a notable effect on their practice routines. Most subjects mentioned they did not realize what their practice habits were until they started using the app. They found it really transformative.

Although the app was designed to collect research data, we are planning to eventually make it available to the public. It is only research-ready at this point, so we have work to do before it is market-ready.

How did Shockoe perform from a project management standpoint?

They developed an extensive project timeline, and we usually met every two weeks—sometimes in person, but more often on a conference call—to receive updates. After each meeting, Rebecca would send me a summary of our current state and the tasks everybody was assigned to.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There was a personal investment to make the product great—not just for me, but for everybody that would use it. That strikes me as unique. They collaborated with me to make the app as good as it could be. They challenged my thought process, and that improved the final product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I sometimes felt there were too many people in our meetings. That is both because those people are accruing paid hours, and I generally find it difficult to work with large groups. I would prefer to have smaller groups more often and instead save the larger team meetings for the major milestones.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of programs at RVATECH (Richmond Technology Council). We’re a chamber of commerce for the technology community in the greater Richmond area. Our organization holds roughly 50 events per year for our members.

What challenge were you trying to address with Shockoe?

With around 800 attendees each year, our annual awards gala is one of our most significant events. We’d usually print all the programs and event IDs, but that became costly in both materials and work hours when multiplied by 800. Being a tech council especially, we wanted to go as paperless as possible. Therefore, we reached out to Shockoe to create a mobile app that could function as the event’s program.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Shockoe asked what exactly we were looking for, but we gave them creative freedom. Considering the event is so large, we just wanted an app that would enable guests to connect with each other as much as possible. They developed the app from scratch for both iOS and Android. We sent them our company’s color scheme and they handled the remaining frontend design work.

The finished product allows users to log-in and connects the app with their LinkedIn account to see a list of everyone attending the gala. The platform includes a list of company tables and their location within the venue. To facilitate this, I sent Shockoe a list of our registered guests, sponsors, and the table layout plan. We’re planning to have them develop a similar app for a large event we’re holding this October.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with one of their partners and another resource. Other people worked on the project of course, but I’m not aware of how many.

How did you come to work with Shockoe?

They’re a local company that’s been involved with the council for a few years. Their CEO is an active member and the company even won an award a previous ceremony.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project took place from April–May 2018.

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

They saved us a lot of time and money. The app was a success at the gala, so we plan to use their services in the near future. I’ve heard nothing but great things from the attendees. They loved the ability to connect with new people and can quickly look them up through the app.

How did Shockoe perform from a project management standpoint?

They were in touch with us constantly. Their team provided updates and utilized video conferences to walk us through each step of the process. Overall, it was a quick turnaround time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to communicate is a distinguishing attribute as I was always able to reach them. They answered all of our questions and were ready to make changes at a moment’s notice.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the knowledge transfer manager of a university. I work with a veterinary medicine research group that was looking into a cow disease called bovine mastitis.

What challenge were you trying to address with Shockoe?

We wanted to create a mobile application to facilitate the sharing of our findings to users, dairy producers, and veterinarians.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Shockoe provided the additional expertise necessary to organize the project and help with its development. Their team created the structure of the app, then defined the steps needed to complete each element. They used Appcelerator to produce an iOS and Android version. The platform’s main functionality is a tool that allows users to enter data to be stored in a larger database shared with third-party partners. Shockoe also developed comprehensive and accessible graphs to be featured in the app. Users can access this information via multiple screens and use it to diagnose their cows and decide the best path for treatment.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, graphic designer, programmer, and three initial developers.

How did you come to work with Shockoe?

Following a referral, we considered their bid along with a few from other companies. Shockoe’s proposal included using the Appcelerator platform to develop the app, which we found very impressive. We brought them on based on their innovative approach to the project.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $330,000 on this product.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from January 2016—March 2018.

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

Our partners and stakeholders found the app revolutionary, accessible, and expertly developed. We hope its user base continues to grow amongst the community of dairy producers.

Shockoe’s organized approach to the project was key to our success. They were not very familiar with cows’ health conditions, but were still able to quickly develop an understanding of our needs and efficiently conceive the necessary functionalities. The team consistently provided valuable suggestions to optimize the app’s user experience and graphic design elements.

How did Shockoe perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management approach was orderly, yet driven. We discussed progress and updates at scheduled weekly meetings, but if we needed to reach them in the meantime, they were always responsive to phone calls and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed by their ability to quickly and thoroughly understand our needs. This allowed us to swiftly move through the projects initial phases.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could be more consistent with their billing methods. The gaps in between each bill varied for unclear reasons.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of digital marketing and communications for a hospital system.

What challenge were you trying to address with Shockoe?

We approached Shockoe to develop two apps for us: the first was a customer-facing app that allowed us to move from a paper directory to a digital one; the second was an internal communications app. Although we had an in-house web development team, they didn’t have the time or expertise to build mobile apps, so we outsourced the work.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Shockoe created two apps for iOS and Android from scratch. We didn’t have a lot of experience building apps, so they walked us through what we needed to do. Initially, there was a lot of discovery work. We had meetings up front to make sure that we had the necessary information ready for both apps. On our side, we mapped out all the data to the apps. They then went through the typical processes to build them: design, development, testing, and rollout.

They launched the directory app for us in app stores, and we released the second app internally. At the moment, we haven’t decided whether we wanted to continue building the second app out further or keep it as is. It’s likely that we’ll implement further developments, but, for now, it’s in a maintenance mode.

What is the team composition?

We mostly worked with a primary account manager who relayed our questions and information to the rest of their team. We also worked with one of their co-founders. As the project went along, we worked more and more with their designer and would occasionally have a developer on call.

How did you come to work with Shockoe?

We had previously collaborated with a vendor to build a different app. However, they were going through some severe growing pains and couldn’t work with us anymore. I immediately started looking for developers in the D.C. and Richmond area. After speaking to a few firms, I found Shockoe. The fit was good; they were the right size for us, and I liked that they were only an hour away.

How much have you invested with them?

For both projects, including revisions and updates, we spent between $80,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The bulk of their development work lasted from December 2016–June 2018.

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

They met the scope and kept to our timeline and budget. On both projects, we had significant internal delays that impacted all of the schedules in place. However, they stuck with us and developed the apps within a reasonable time frame. When the ball was in their court, they really came through.

I also appreciated that their co-founder kept us in tune with some of the breaking technologies such as AR/VR and machine learning. They informed us of different ways we could use our data with our current internal processes. I only have the utmost respect for them and their expertise.

How did Shockoe perform from a project management standpoint?

I would give their account management exceptionally high marks. There was a lot of close communication. We had weekly meetings as well as activities and milestones that we were trying to hit. They also had some tools to manage the project, but I rarely used them. Instead, I would rely on the account manager to brief me via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a stable organization that always delivers on their promises. In the past, we’ve worked with other agencies where we had to deal with growing pains, disorganization, and people leaving. In contrast, Shockoe hasn’t experienced any of those challenges; they’ve been able to keep their talent and continue growing. Without a doubt, they’re within the top companies I’ve ever worked with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind. When we first started working with them, I felt that the founders could have delegated more tasks to their staff, but they seemed to have worked this out. Because the founders are so busy, now, they naturally divvied more responsibilities to the rest of the team. As a result, we’ve had particularly knowledgeable people working on our projects.