Exceptional bespoke software solutions.
Softwire is a privately owned software development company based in the UK. We are specialists in the delivery of software consultancy and bespoke, custom-built software solutions.
Softwire focuses on providing an exceptional level of service to a manageable number of customers. Our commitment to customer satisfaction is second to none - not least because repeat business is an important source of our revenue.
headquarters
other locations
Focus
Portfolio
Media & Publishing: BBC, Channel 5, The Telegraph Media Group, Stageclip Leisure: David Lloyd Leisure, Treatwell, Odeon & Lighter Life Financial Services: Redburn, Profile Pensions, Allianz, BNY Mellon, Zurich, Starling Bank Government and Public Sector: Ofgem, GDS, Public Health England, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Office for Products, Safety and Standards, The Fleming Fund Medical: Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Anthony Nolan, Moorfields Eye Hospital Telecoms: Metaswitch Transportation: Angel Trains
Building the Government's Simple Energy Advice Service
Technologies
- GOV.UK Platform as a Service (PaaS)
- WordPress
- JavaScript
- AngularJS
The UK Government-endorsed Simple Energy Advice service aims to give people tailored suggestions on how to increase the energy efficiency of their homes. The goal is to encourage individuals to make improvements that help the country meet its low-carbon targets. A successful Softwire alpha phase had identified the need to replace an existing call-centre-only service with a digitally-led self-service version. We had also shown what form the new service should take. The Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) selected Softwire to deliver the beta phase, which included building the service and producing all the necessary content. This was a high-profile, public-facing project. As well as being on the agenda of BEIS ministers, it was to be widely publicised during the first-ever Green Great Britain Week in 2018. It was therefore essential we delivered on-time and that the service was robust.
Our solutionContinual user testing shaped a service that was both easy to use and engaging, while rigorous load testing ensured it would remain available under the expected usage volumes.
Extensive user testing
As we had during alpha, we ran weekly user testing sessions. These included facilitated lab testing in different UK regions, as well as remote sessions where target users were sent tasks to complete in their own time. This blend ensured we got as representative and realistic a view as possible from our wide target audience. We launched an early private beta that ramped up to 1,000 users, enabling us to gather detailed analytics data on how people were using the website. With much of the service based around a series of questions people fill in to get their tailored advice, the user testing and analytics enabled us to identify which questions were slowing people down. Our content designers spent time refining and re-testing these, to make it easier for people to get their tailored suggestions.
Engaging video content
Our user testing also identified a desire for video content in certain places, so we oversaw the creation of clips to complement the other content on the site and make the messaging more engaging.
Ease of maintenance
To keep up with ever-changing energy legislation, we designed the website to be easy to update. The majority of content is editable through a content management system (CMS), which BEIS’s own team can use.
Robust load testing
We needed to ensure this high-profile service would deliver under the anticipated user volumes, particularly with media interest expected to be high. We used various cloud platform features to enable scaling, designed-in other best practices to create a genuinely robust platform and load-tested the service to ensure it would perform.
Assisted digital support
Lastly, having identified the need for assisted digital support in the shape of a small contact centre, we built in the ability to transfer customers’ journeys from the website to the contact centre operator if required. We also provided BEIS with guidance on expected call volumes and the level of training the operators would need, so they could recruit and train an appropriate number of staff.
The resultThe new service sees user numbers double compared to its predecessor, with a significant proportion of site visitors completing the full journey to receive their tailored energy-saving advice.
Following the successful private beta, the public beta went live on-schedule ahead of Green Great Britain Week, meaning BEIS was able to close the legacy contact centre and replace it with the lower-cost alternative we specified. In its first few months, usage of the digitally-led service has shown an upward trend, with twice as many people now accessing it every month as were using the call-centre-only service. Moreover, the average time people spend on the site is more than sufficient for someone to answer the questions and review the suggestions. And with 25% of all site visitors completing the full questionnaire and receiving their tailored advice, the service is delivering an impressive conversion rate, thereby meeting its goal of ensuring an ever-greater number of people benefit from bespoke energy-saving advice.
Softwire is now providing ongoing support for the Simple Energy Advice service.
Optimising newspaper printing for the Telegraph Media Group
Softwire quickly turns around important enhancements to legacy codebase, to enable newspaper publisher to streamline printing.
The customer and requirementTelegraph Media Group (TMG) is one of the largest providers of news in the UK. Its printed newspapers are an important part of its business.
To optimise the efficiency of its newspaper print-runs, TMG needed to enhance a key application that controls the printing presses. This would enable it to automate tasks its people were having to do manually. The potential savings involved meant TMG was keen for the project to be completed as soon as possible. The work demanded high-calibre software engineers, able to quickly get to grips with and make changes to a complex legacy codebase.
Softwire’s solutionHaving assessed the requirements, we identified that this needed a single software engineer to work closely with the customer’s product owner. Our engineer was supported by colleagues in Softwire who provided light-touch customer relationship management and technical oversight.Within two weeks of TMG approaching us, we started work, and delivered the enhancements after a further 20 days.
The outcomeAfter this point, our engineer worked with TMG’s testing team, providing support and delivering bug fixes on an ad hoc basis. The customer has since signed off the work, and at the time of writing is in the process of final implementation with its printing press partner.
Delivering improved business insights for Zurich UK
- Microsoft Azure
- DevOps
- Qlik
- JSON
- XML
Zurich is one of the largest insurance companies in the world, providing a range of products to individuals, businesses and the public sector.
In 2017, the firm set up a dedicated Data Architecture and Analytics (DAA) function. Its remit is to bring together consistent and accurate data from across the organisation’s many source systems and present this to the business in ways that aid reporting and front-line operations.
Softwire was brought in as a strategic data engineering partner to accelerate the establishment of the DAA function. The aims were twofold: deliver a variety of strategic technical projects, and help the firm grow and upskill its in-house data engineering capability to a point where it was self-sufficient.
Our Solution Softwire delivered a number of important data engineering projects, which included helping Zurich recruit the right in-house team, as well as implementing ways of working designed to help the Data Architecture and Analytics function respond effectively to business requirements.Strategic projects
Zurich established a strategic, firm-wide data warehouse, which brought together information from a large number of source systems. For the benefits of this consolidated view to be felt across the business, they needed an easy way to get this data in front of the right people at the right time.
Building a self-sufficient team
In parallel, we supported our client to build their in-house team from 3 FTE to more than 35. Will Davis, Data Development Lead at Zurich, explains:
“Softwire helped us understand the level of skills and technical background we required to create a best-in-class data engineering capability. Their team also established and upskilled us in the best ways of working, and the broader technologies we required to run and maintain our large estate of data solutions and code. Central among this was getting us a lot closer to DevOps-style continuous deployment of our code. This is particularly challenging to achieve in the data engineering space, given the number of moving parts.”
The Result Zurich now has a self-sufficient data engineering function, equipped with tools and processes that are enabling it to deliver tangible value to the business.A fully capable in-house data engineering function, skilled in best practices around continuous deployment and integration and equipped with easily maintainable, best-in-class tooling to deliver insights to the business in a responsive way.
Faster customer serviceThe benefits are already being felt. Their first-line contact centre is using our web portal to route customer enquiries significantly more quickly. Where this could previously take up to 30 minutes per enquiry, the new tooling has reduced this to as little as a few minutes.
Optimisation work is continual, as the team produce and upgrade the data warehouse infrastructure to support wider operational use.
“Best-in-class specialist partner”Davis concludes by reflecting on the impact Softwire has had: “To help us establish the Data Architecture and Analytics function, we wanted to work with – and learn from – best-in-class specialist partners. This is why we chose Softwire.
What’s stood out about Softwire is the way they have genuinely bought into helping us improve our team and ways of working. It was obvious that alongside their work to deliver the various data engineering projects, they were committed to helping us achieve self-sufficiency.
“This meant when we took over full responsibility, the transition was completely seamless, and we can now confidently deliver ever-increasing value to the business.”
David Lloyd Clubs - Digitisation programme
Summary
As David Lloyd’s business success and expansion continued, we embarked together on an ambitious digital transformation programme.
Technologies
- Microservices
- Java
- JavaScript
- Knockout framework
- PHP
- Zend framwork
David Lloyd Clubs is Europe’s premier health, racquets and fitness provider, with more than 100 clubs, 570,000 members and an 8,600-strong workforce. It runs more than 13,000 exercise classes every week and operates 1,400 tennis, squash and badminton courts.
With club and customer numbers growing fast, David Lloyd wanted to enhance the members’ experience, improve its understanding of how people were using the facilities, and reduce costs. This required an ambitious digital transformation programme that would touch every aspect of its business, creating a whole new suite of digital capabilities and significantly upgrading many of its existing systems.
An award-winning start
We first got involved when David Lloyd brought us in to complete its new online court and exercise-class booking system. This was such a success that it then asked us to deliver the next phase: the mobile booking apps. These too, were enormously popular with members: 85% of class bookings are now done via the apps. The app also won gold in the Leisure category at the UK [app] design awards.
Expanding our role with a full web replatforming and rebrand
Attention then turned to David Lloyd’s website. As part of its growth strategy, the business had a major prime-time television advertising campaign scheduled during the X Factor. This would encourage millions of viewers to visit the site.
In preparation, David Lloyd wanted to refresh the branding and bolster the site’s foundations, to ensure it continued to perform well under the unprecedented loads it was about to experience.
As we had built the booking system and mobile apps to successfully handle large peaks of traffic, we were asked to rebuild the websites for David Lloyd’s UK and European brands. This involved a major technology replatforming, as well as a new user interface, which we worked on with David Lloyd’s design agency. Rigorous testing gave David Lloyd the confidence the new sites would perform when the advertising campaign aired, which they duly did.
Digital transformation partner
Having delivered three flagship projects for David Lloyd, we were now firmly established as its go-to digital transformation partner. And we kicked on from there, working strategically with its both in-house digital team and management to help shape the right portfolio of digital capabilities to support its growing business.
We delivered new, integrated applications to replace paper- or spreadsheet-based processes. We built the tools to enable David Lloyd to personalise its customer experiences and help people get the most out of their memberships. We transformed many of the systems used by David Lloyd’s employees. And as the business grew, our analytics forecasts helped it plan ahead to ensure its digital infrastructure would continue to deliver the premium experiences associated with the David Lloyd brand. With the loads on some systems growing by as much as 50% year-on-year, future-proofing in this way is essential.
Better customer experiences and other benefits
David Lloyd’s digital transformation is already bearing fruit. First and foremost, it’s enabling better customer experiences whenever a member interacts with David Lloyd. The new website, booking system and mobile apps provide the convenience of self-service, and also mean reception staff spend much less time handling booking requests. Consequently, they’re able to focus more on providing excellent customer service. Meanwhile, the personalisation capabilities are enabling David Lloyd to provide a more tailored experience to every member, thereby increasing loyalty. The integrated, business-wide digital capabilities have also provided a step-change in David Lloyd’s understanding of how people are using its services. The reports it now has access to are enabling it to further refine its offerings to best suit the evolving needs of its members.
And there are also the many cost savings and security enhancements achieved by replacing paper-based systems and spreadsheets with automated, digital capabilities.
Using AI to help clinician fast-track patients with serious eye diseases.
Collect and prepare the data required to train a pioneering healthcare artificial intelligence algorithm
Moorfields Eye Hospital, the leading provider of eye health services in the UK and a world-class centre of excellence for ophthalmic research, was working with DeepMind on a pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) research project. The aim was to develop an algorithm capable of accurately spotting signs of conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in de-personalised eye scans. AMD is the most common cause of blindness in the UK.
Reviewing eye scans to assess whether a patient has a particular condition currently requires time and input from highly skilled clinicians. With large numbers of referrals, this can take time. If a computer was able to accurately spot those in need of quick treatment, it would free up clinicians to see more patients, and enable them to prioritise patients effectively. Being treated more quickly could save someone’s sight.
To train the AI algorithm, Moorfields Eye Hospital asked Softwire to help it bring together and prepare the necessary data from a number of sources. It also asked us to create a new in-house research support tool. DeepMind provided Moorfields with funding for the research, part of which covered Softwire’s work.
Our solutionWe aggregated and transformed the required data to train the AI algorithm, and built Moorfields Eye Hospital a transformational research support system
Firstly, we worked with Moorfields’ information governance teams to ensure all necessary data was de-identified in line with local and national guidelines. We then brought this together and transformed it into the correct format, ready for the development of AI algorithms.
Second, we created the in-house system to search the newly aggregated data, to support Moorfields Eye Hospital’s wider eye condition research work. The new tool enables researchers to search the enormous volume of data and quickly find relevant information, a process that was previously manual and highly labour-intensive.
The resultDeepMind created an AI system that could interpret eye scans as accurately as world-leading expert doctors. This has the potential to transform eye care for the millions of people affected by preventable or curable sight loss worldwide.
We quickly provided the data required to train the AI algorithm, enabling Moorfields Eye Hospital and DeepMind to produce their research paper in the planned timescales. Pearse Keane, NIHR Clinician Scientist and Honorary Consultant Ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital, underlines the importance of Softwire to this process: “ Having Softwire involved, working with our in-house information governance department, gave us a lot of security and trust in how robust the system was in this regard.”
The results, published online in Nature Medicine (and covered on the BBC and in most national newspapers including the front page of the London Evening Standard), show that the DeepMind AI system can quickly interpret eye scans from routine clinical practice with unprecedented accuracy. It can correctly recommend how patients should be referred for treatment for over 50 sight-threatening eye diseases – as accurately as world-leading expert doctors.
Meanwhile, the research support system we built means Moorfields’ researchers are now able to base their work on much larger sample sizes than was previously feasible.
Keane explains the impact this has already had: “We can now really take advantage of the fact that Moorfields is the largest eye hospital in Europe by using all our data. Previously, we would do studies of around 100 patients, and gathering the data could take up to six months. Now, we can gather data on 10,000 or even 100,000 patients in minutes, meaning the insights we get are much more powerful. We’ve had it for a few months and it’s already making a difference: we hope to have at least 10 abstracts to submit to a high-profile conference within the next two months, based on the work from Softwire.”
He concludes: “I would love to work with Softwire again in the future. I feel that if the NHS had access to this type of expertise, at scale, on a regular basis, it would have huge benefits for the UK and the world.”
For more details about this project, you can read DeepMind’s blog post.
BBC Live events
We created a bespoke CMS to run the BBC's event microsites, including Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds festivals and the BBC Proms.
Technologies
- Java
- Spring
- JSP
- MySQL
- PHP
- Zend
The Challenge
The BBC wanted a powerful CMS that would simplify the process of covering live music performances, Non-technicians had to be able to set up the coverage and update it at any time even during the festivals. The system needed to provide a rich user experience whilst supporting usage spikes of over 100 requests per second, The CMS needed to be flexible enough to integrate with several internal and external systems. The system was required to deliver information in many formats including blogs, audio and profiles of performers and a large amount of audio and video content including live multiscreen.
Throughout the entire project, we worked with the full range of people involved in all of the many disparate complex media systems. We wanted to ensure that all information feeds were integrated seamlessly. We ran multi-site daily stand-up meetings and sprint planning sessions.
To handle the large number of visitors the system used multiple levels of caching. This allowed the CMS to cope with the conflicting requirements of a very high traffic system that also needed to respond within seconds to changes made by editorial staff in the field.
The Result
Our solution dramatically reduced costs so that the BBC not only saved money but was also able to build more event sites.
We reduced development time from several weeks of technical input down to a single afternoon requiring no technical knowledge. On the day, updates can be as live as the music. We freed-up resources to allow the BBC to do what they really love doing producing great festival coverage.
Our software debuted flawlessly at the BBC;s biggest ever free ticketed live music event, Radio 1's Hackney Weekend.
Reviews
the project
Web App Development for Digital Health Company
"Softwire have gone above and beyond in their commitment to deliver on this project."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am cofounder and CTO of Quro Medical, a digital health company using innovative technologies and analytics to deliver affordable, high-quality healthcare in emerging markets.
For what projects/services did your company hire Softwire, and what were your goals?
We hired Softwire to develop a web app for visualising patient data stored in our database on the cloud. Our goal was to enable doctors to visualise data for their assigned patients in nearly real-time after arriving on the cloud. The app also needed to implement proper security and access controls, as well as having a clean and presentable design.
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
We came across Softwire after advertising this project via our personal networks. We chose to work with Softwire due to their well-resourced team and their demonstrably high quality of work. They additionally offered to provide the initial deliverable on a pro-bono basis, and offered very generous for subsequent work. Altogether we felt this was an excellent deal.
Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.
We provided an initial specification of the web app, which Softwire translated into a set of concrete, incremental deliverables in the form of user stories. Softwire then developed a set of backend APIs using AWS technologies including Lambdas, API Gateway, and Cognito, as well as a front-end built in React.
How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
The team included approximately 20 people with various levels of involvement on both a paid and pro bono basis. Positions included: Senior project manager, Senior technical lead, Technical lead, Senior Developer, Developer, UX Designer, Business Development Manager.
Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?
Softwire delivered a highly functional web app in line with our specifications, which we have used in production with real patients and doctors. Our platform has enabled us to detect in advance the clinical deterioration of multiple COVID patients under our care and to facilitate their admission to hospital, where they received life-saving medical treatment.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.
Project management was coordinated primarily using Trello. Communication took place mostly over Slack, with some video calls at various points where appropriate.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
Softwire have gone above and beyond in their commitment to deliver on this project. They offered us a very generous rate, and have delivered a very usable product that we have been able to put into production successfully.
They were also very adaptible to our existing tech stack, and their work has integrated seamlessly with our existing infrastructure in a way that lets us continue building into the future.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
Given the scope of the project, the timelines, and the pro bono nature of much of the work, there is very little I can think of that Softwire could have improved. We have had an excellent experience dealing with them.
the project
Website Development for IT Services Company
"They're brilliant."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the head of marketing and membership for the Open Data Institute. We promote the fair and ethical use of data.
What challenge were you trying to address with Softwire?
Our organization covers several areas and themes around data. We do thought leadership and offer a broad range of services. As a result, our website looked scattered and did not provide an intuitive user journey. We hired Software to rebuild and redesign our website from scratch.
What was the scope of their involvement?
The project started with a scoping exercise. Softwire did customer research with current clients and partners to find how they interacted with our organization and initially found us. The team then wrote a short report and provided recommendations. Next, they leveraged that information for the front- and backend redevelopment on WordPress. The overhaul included a frontend redesign and a CMS to manage the range of visitors and journeys. Softwire then helped us with hosting.
What is the team composition?
The team includes a designer, a user researcher, a developer, and an account manager. There are up to three other people working behind the scenes.
How did you come to work with Softwire?
Since we were a publicly funded organization with a certain budget for the project, our team put a tender out. We interviewed four companies and had each give a presentation. A solution-focused team, Softwire understood our unusual position as a public sector organization that also offers services. During the tender process, they asked the right questions about business requirements. Also, we found them amicable and easy to work with.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in March 2017. Softwire launched the site in February 2018 and now continues to provide support and development services.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Per our key performance indicator (KPI), we wanted fewer people landing on our home page and more users landing on deeper pages. Total site visits increased 5%, but home page visits decreased by 5%. Those numbers showed us that more people are now landing on relevant pages deeper in the site’s content.
How did Softwire perform from a project management standpoint?
Throughout the partnership, they’ve been honest, clear, and patient. For example, there was a nine-month lag between hiring Softwire and the start of work because our budget needed approval. The team was very patient with us—ridiculously so—as we got the budget finalized.
Softwire stays on schedule and budget. Whenever we risk going over budget, the team gives us the option to either increase the spend or reduce the scope. We’ve had to make a few of those decisions, but didn’t lose impact as a result.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They demonstrated exceptional listening skills—both when asking our team insightful questions and conducting user research. Other vendors have been good at development and/or design, but necessarily great at listening as well.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, but perhaps I’m looking back with rose-colored glasses because the launch was a long time ago. I recall the build being an awesome experience.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Give Softwire the time and resources necessary for the research phase; this is where they excel. It’s important to keep the momentum up between the research and implementation stages. Also, listen to their advice because they know their stuff.
the project
Software Development for Nonprofit
“They know what they’re doing and focus on delivering high-quality products.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the assistant director of technology for Anthony Nolan, a nonprofit that looks after the U.K. stem cell register and facilitates stem cell transplants for people with blood disorders. I run the application development for all of our bespoke systems.
What challenge were you trying to address with Softwire?
We have a lot of legacy systems and old technology, and we needed to replatform and write a new system. We didn’t have anyone in-house with the skills or expertise, so we hired an external agency.
What was the scope of their involvement?
The first system that Softwire worked on was for our search and match team, who’re responsible for finding potential donors for patients who need a transplant. Softwire produced screens for our team to be able to better identity best matches and to pass that information to transplant centers via PDF files.
For any of our projects, they follow our tech stacks, which are microservices on a .NET platform. They’re optimizing our process, moving from our old Oracle database to Azure. They use React for our frontend and host the platform on Azure. While they do software dev, we also collaborate on technology strategy.
What is the team composition?
We started with two developers and now have six. Their tech lead is highly involved in our tech strategy decisions.
How did you come to work with Softwire?
I'd worked with them in a previous position and knew they’d be a great fit. We started with a proof of concept, and they did a great job, so we hired them.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent around £1 million (approximately $1,298,000 USD).
What is the status of this engagement?
We’ve been working together since October 2016.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We don’t track any metrics, but they work well with our team.
How did Softwire perform from a project management standpoint?
They have good project management. They know what they’re doing and focus on delivering high-quality products.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They understand software development and how to best integrate it with our business. They exceed our expectations and always deliver what they promise.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No. They’re a good team.
Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?
Know your business and be clear about what you want.
the project
Development for Project Management Company
"They pitch in when we need assistance and offer ideas proactively—even if it’s outside their scope."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the CEO of Constructive Collaboration. We design and develop systems to help clients collaborate effectively on complex projects.
What challenge were you trying to address with Softwire?
We had a concept for a collaborative software platform for the construction industry. We engaged Softwire to help us discover, design, and develop the tool.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Softwire helped us turn our concept into a prototype and then a trial version for consumer use. After creating the algorithm and wireframes, we coordinated the design process. Softwire then led the technical development after that. The team built the platform as proprietary software. Members can log in to the system once they acquire a license. Softwire also set up the servers, the backend, and the login interface.
We’ve now entered a development partnership with their team. We conduct live development and testing in two-week sprints using a flexible, agile approach.
What is the team composition?
Jonathan (Head of Consulting, Softwire) is our main point of contact. We also work with a lead software developer.
How did you come to work with Softwire?
A contact at the Royal Academy of Engineering recommended them to us. Softwire offered services that met our needs and had a convenient location.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in January 2016, and the partnership is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We now have over 1500 users and 200 companies using our platform. We presented our software at a key event at the Royal Academy of Engineering and received very positive feedback.
How did Softwire perform from a project management standpoint?
We’ve had ups and downs given that we’re a startup working in a live testing environment. However, Softwire consistently pays attention to our needs and delivers high-quality products. We’re highly satisfied with our collaboration and how it’s proceeding.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They pitch in when we need assistance and offer ideas proactively—even if it’s outside their scope. They have experience in working with startup and give helpful support rapidly.
Are there any areas they could improve?
There is always room for improvement, but I can’t think of anything in particular. We address any issues in our two-week sprint reviews.
the project
Multiple Dev Projects for Train Leasing Company
"They are very successful in recruiting and retaining quality development talent."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the senior IT development manager for a train leasing company.
What challenge were you trying to address with Softwire?
We have a small team of in-house developers, and at times have requirements or workload that goes beyond their capabilities. We’ve been working with Softwire for many years as external development support on several different projects.
What was the scope of their involvement?
The general process begins with us identifying the need for development in one of our applications (either pre-existing or a new development requirement), and we develop the requirements internally. Once we determine that we need external support, we discuss the project with Softwire and, if the price and schedule fit, they begin the design or development work. Additionally, they provide background support for applications they have developed.
Most of our applications are web-based; however, our main asset management system, which Softwire helped develop, is tablet-based. Our field agents go to rail depots, which are mostly located in remote areas without Wi-Fi or 3G/4G signal, and inspect the depots and trains. When they return to a location with service, they download the information for our analysis and tracking.
What is the team composition?
We work with different team members depending on the project, sometimes one developer, sometimes a team. Regardless of who we work with, I’ve been impressed with their development knowledge and talent.
How did you come to work with Softwire?
One of my colleagues was in charge of development when we hired them several years ago. I know that we were looking for external development support and contacted a number of companies. Softwire was the one that best met our specifications, and we continue to work with them because they produce good results.
How much have you invested with them?
The most recent project was around £200,000 (approximately $255,600 USD), and in our years working together, we’ve spent somewhere between that and $1 million.
What is the status of this engagement?
I believe we began working with them in 2012, and we are still working with them.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Softwire is very good at developing the appropriate UI. Most of our field agents are used to a paper-based process, and Softwire developed a system that’s comfortable and easy for them to use.
Our asset management system resulted in cost savings and increased efficiency in time. When we were using a paper-based method, our field agents would have to come into headquarters at least once a week to service paper requests. Now it’s automatically uploaded, freeing up more of their time and saving the company money.
How did Softwire perform from a project management standpoint?
I have a development background, so I manage most of the projects and stay in constant contact with them. They have internal project management overhead that works with their team, but that’s no cost to us. I believe that the double layer of project management is unnecessary and at times cumbersome, but I understand that it's part of their requirements; it’s the standard for many development companies.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I’ve been very impressed with their strength and depth in finding talent. They are very successful in recruiting and retaining quality development talent. The entire team works to the same high standards, so I’m always confident that whatever developer, or development team, I’m working with will be successful.
They’ve been helpful in challenging my assumptions and honing my requirements. They don’t just show up and do what they’re told, but they work in real partnership with us.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Because of my experience as a developer, I get frustrated having to work with a project manager since it requires—what I consider to be—an unnecessary level of translation; however, that’s not specific to Softwire.
They take a conservative approach to their pricing in terms of building the risk into the cost. It makes sense in a business environment, but it means that we will always enter into a period of haggling about cost and schedule. I especially end up questioning or pushing their schedule, because I’m familiar with what goes into development requirements.
the project
Custom Software Dev for Insurance Consultancy & Practice
“Softwire performs ... with better results than we’ve received for a comparable investment in larger corporations.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I am the director in the insurance practice of a medium sized UK consultancy. We provide professional and advisory services to clients across many industries including financial services, energy and utilities, telecoms and consumer products.
What challenge were you trying to address with Softwire?
We needed custom software development support. Our client was a major insurance company in the process of delivering significant transformation in their data function. The legacy environment was complicated, aged, and fragmented.
What was the scope of their involvement?
The insurance client engaged us to support their data function. Softwire helped us progress a critical complex workstream on the program to develop a new centralized data warehouse of factual financial information. Bringing in a quality development team helped us untangle these complexities and attain the right outcome under a tight budget and timescale constraints.
Softwire provided data development resources to handle several types of data and transform them into a single format on a SQL Server. They built SSIS jobs that select the correct data to standardize on a daily basis. Subsequently, they constructed a suite of web service APIs in Python to sit on top of the data to provide “plug and play” access to records within that warehouse.
What is the team composition?
After we specified the type of skills we required, Softwire provided several options to choose from. At the peak of development, we worked with about nine people. The team was mostly comprised of data developers, senior level developers, and a couple of tech leads. Two additional people worked on web services, along with specialists in constructing data marts. Generally speaking, the caliber of their resources is exceptionally high.
How did you come to work with Softwire?
My friend introduced me to Softwire. We discussed their operation style and resource profile and they recruit from all the top universities in the UK. All these factors aligned with our goals and how we differentiate ourselves in the marketplace. It seemed logical to form a partnership.
How much have you invested in them?
We have spent between $200,000–$1,000,000 in total.
What is the status of this engagement?
We’ve been working together since April 2017.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Based on my experience, Softwire performs a more extensive scope of complex work with better results than we’ve received for a comparable investment in larger corporations. For the same financial outlay as those competitors, they deliver higher quality deliverables and secure more impressive outcomes than we’ve seen in the past.
When we identified many tables to transform for the underlying scope, Softwire quickly noticed a pattern of similar elements. Instead of conducting a manual build, they created a tool that automatically generates those pieces of work. We were initially dubious about the value of this endeavor. Shortly after, we discovered that our objectives would exceed the scope otherwise. Developing this automation could be absorbed with no impact. By challenging us to innovate, Softwire helped us meet our ideal business outcomes.
How did Softwire perform from a project management standpoint?
The team operates using the Agile delivery and methodologies by default. Using this process let us rapidly run testing to ensure that large releases out to production were correctly handled. We supply the project management resources for this project, but Softwire has strong low-level team management. It’s always clear what tasks any specific person is doing at a given time.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Softwire provides an impressive quality of people to work on our project. They’re an excellent team with a unique attitude and approach. Unlike many development service providers, they don’t require a detailed spec before they can start working. Softwire would rather understand our desired outcomes. Based on the business challenge we need to solve, they provide sound advice and propose several viable options.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I’d like them to challenge me more, not necessarily from a technical expertise perspective. Backing themselves more from an advisory standpoint and providing access to their more senior people would empower us. As they continue to improve in that area, they’ll have stronger client relationships.
the project
Web & Mobile App Dev for Health & Fitness Club Operator
"Their team is made of, from top to bottom, intelligent IT professionals that are brilliant at their job."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I am the IT director for a European based health and fitness operator with a focus on family fitness.
What challenge were you trying to address with Softwire?
They already worked on various projects for us, but currently, we need them to manage the main website and for IT support.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They redesigned the booking system based on PHP/MySQL that was previously built by a marketing agency. They improved it to be more functional/robust and developed a mobile app that connects to the system.
They continue to provide support for the system and continue to develop our marketing site for branding and lead generation. Their team also provides us with general IT support, gives us advice on digital marketing strategy, and creates any custom software we require.
What is the team composition?
We work with 5-12 people depending on our needs throughout the project.
How did you come to work with Softwire?
I was not there when we first started working with them, but I think we found them through a digital agency in London.
How much have you invested with them?
We have invested about 5 million pounds ($7,017,425 USD)— maybe more, so far.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with them in 2012 and the engagement is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Their redesign of the booking system has significantly improved the UX/UI of the platform, making it easier to log in and more efficient to book our customers. Their mobile app, connected to the booking system, reduced the number of customers booking through our receptionists from 75% to 5% and allowed customers to easily schedule courses. Their stabilization to our main site helps bring in new members all the time. They cut down a significant amount of labor cost and continue to improve the membership experience.
How did Softwire perform from a project management standpoint?
They provide us with a technically savvy project lead and he works with our project managers. They manage the Agile methodology, the engineers, and the deadlines. They also keep track of the regression testing and functional testing outsourced to India.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Their team is made of, from top to bottom, intelligent IT professionals that are brilliant at their job. Their whole team, from junior developers to the senior architects are consistently very bright and well-qualified software engineers. We never have problems when they switch out team members for projects.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Historically, they have not been as commercial as I wanted them to be, but they have addressed that need over the years. They are now much more realistic with estimates and have a better business perspective.
Also, they still make it difficult to justify the cost of the software, as you can’t immediately see the results of the development. They could do a better market analysis to show ensured value for money, as they look very expensive on paper.
After project completion, the digital health company was able to use the app to assist doctors in detecting patients with COVID-19 and admit them to hospitals. The team adapted well to the company's existing tech stack and offered a generous rate for their work.