Singlemind

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

OTTO DesignWorks is a new brand within the outdoor and cycling marketplace. We design and manufacture clever new products for outdoor applications.

What is your position?

I am the president of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with SingleMind?

We needed help for website and iOS development for one of our products.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement.

SingleMind has developed our website. They were involved in the platform selection process and have chosen what templates and technologies will be employed within it. They weren't involved in its cosmetic design.

Our e-commerce site was created using Drupal, which integrates to a payment gateway. The rationale for choosing it was that SingleMind had a greater expertise within this platform. We followed their lead.

We're now in the process of updating the site and making the customer management system more user-friendly in terms of adding products to the site and managing distribution variables. Given our structure, the current system has limitations that have become apparent. We built our first site with reduced features on a small budget. We're now working to improve it.

We've developed a sophisticated product that uses the front-facing camera of an iPhone to three-dimensionally visualize little targets that are placed onto hardware mounted on a bicycle. The app sees these targets and instructs users visually and verbally, via Siri, on how to adjust a bicycle's rear derailleur. It's a comprehensive app with software built using C, Python and native iOS layers. SingleMind has been a partner to us from the start for developing this product, designing its UX [user experience] and implementing all three levels of programming. They've run multiple iterations, fixed bugs, and made feature enhancements. We pivoted the product significantly last fall. It currently offers in-app purchasing. We've both learned much about the Apple release process throughout this project.

They've provided training and instructions to our staff in the past and have done a fine job with it.

How did you come to work with SingleMind?

I race bicycles in my spare time. I ran into their president and founder [Cort Buchholz] via a bicycle race many years ago. At the time, I needed to build a website and asked if he could do it. We extended a personal relationship to a business one. He is very good at technical understanding and problem solving. One of the things that make SingleMind stand out is the ability to distinguish between what is and isn't within their realm of possibilities.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

In 2015, our budget was $350,000. In 2014, it was $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our application has been launched in July 2015. It has since had 12 release updates.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Our app is a new product within its marketplace and, therefore, has significant sales and distribution challenges. Technically speaking, all of our problems have been solved. We've released 270 beta builds in order to get the product to perfection. They came during the course of nine months, during which we resolved 155 bugs.

We primarily sell the hardware with which the app is meant to work. We've seeded the market with 2,000 units and have used our early users as testers for the product. Right now, things are going well. Users are making in-app purchases and the main challenge is for us to market it successfully. We have a roadmap of new features and other integrations.

How did SingleMind perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very good at project management and maintaining their budget. We use Pivotal Tracker for iOS development. It was recommended by SingleMind.

What distinguishes SingleMind from other providers?

Their vice president of operations is seasoned in terms of technical solutions. While he's not a sales and marketing person specifically, he can add value in terms of options. They have a good team overall, and their capabilities are broader today than what they were several years ago.

Is there anything SingleMind could have improved or done differently?

They could develop some more creative resources.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Product Manager of the company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a leading online university.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Singlemind to accomplish?

Custom software development

SOLUTION

How did you find Singlemind?

Referral

Why did you select Singlemind over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Singlemind were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Requirements review and clarification
• UI / UX design for both end user and administrative user interfaces
• Creation and implementation of an identity and access management framework
• Developed unique and secure method to provide messaging within a learning management system interface given that there was no published method to do so
• Custom development work for both end user "widget" and administrative console
• Identification and implementation of reporting framework

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Provided us with a new communication mechanism for outreach to students
• Equipped us to have better visibility regarding engagement and outcomes than most other communication channels
• Deepened our market leadership in proactive student outreach by being the first mover in implementing this form of communication

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They were highly responsive, organized, and on schedule. They were also always willing to readily jump on an impromtu call. Any bottlenecks or delays were on our end, not theirs.

What was your primary form of communication with Singlemind?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

• Estimates are fair and realistic
• Unusually creative and highly lateral thinkers
• They're extremely dedicated and pleasant to work with
• Provide meaningfully and helpful value adds to the design and implementation process rather than merely being "order takers

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

Not that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of GCX Solutions. We offer fractional product leadership services. Previously, I was with Momentum Design Lab, as EVP.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SingleMind?

We collaborated on multiple occasions. We built a full financial service research firm website as well as rethink a data provider full website.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals are always to increase client conversion on the website. We want the visitors to click on the "Schedule a Demo" button.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I was introduced to SingleMind by a friend. He worked with them and was highly satisfied. We met and I liked their no-nonsense approach. I felt like I would get the real story.

Describe the project in detail.

The provided interaction and visual design services, as well a Drupal development.

What was the team composition?

The team was one project manager, one designer, and two developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The data is confidential. I can share that the user testing was unanimous that we dramatically increase the usability of the website.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They are great to work with. They have a laid back, no-nonsense style. They will adapt to the situation and provide as much or as little reporting overhead as you want.po

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Great people, very knowledgeable about web and app development and how to manage a web presence.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Some might think they are not serious enough because of their laid back style.