SolutionStream

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

The system isn’t fully integrated into our existing databases, so we don’t have any metrics or results yet. We have the UI and the concept working virtually, but we can’t use it yet. That was a major frustration in this project, but that wasn’t their fault. When they proposed the project, it was to write the code, not to integrate it. We didn’t realize that would be an issue at the beginning. We thought they’d be willing to help us with integration, but we ran out of budget to hire them for that extra step.

How did SolutionStream perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent project managers. They sent weekly reports, we had weekly phone calls, and they coordinated better than most groups out there. We used GoToMeeting to look at the software on their screens and they kept a lot of their tools in that platform.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very good at complex software projects. They’re well organized and they served us well. They were very transparent and projected their time and costs as well as possible.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We wish they had dedicated more time to us and worked to deliver a complete result. There was no deception on their part, but we didn’t realize that integration would cost more. I think that kind of dedication would really set them apart.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take the whole five days they recommend to map out the process. Don’t try to shortcut that, it will save time and money in the future.

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

Overall, SolutionStream significantly improved connectivity within our field. Having a go-to business center for our distributors has been hugely beneficial.

How did SolutionStream perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager was very good about making sure we stuck to sprints and outlined timelines. They were very well organized and collaborated closely with our in-house team on a daily basis.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were great about following up with us to make sure the project progressed smoothly. They regularly traveled to our office and were always available to jump on urgent tasks at all hours of the day or during weekends. That level of commitment really sets them apart.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They're a bit pricey, which is to be expected from a development company of their size, but it would be nice if they offered less expensive maintenance packages so we wouldn't have to work with other freelancers to update the app as needed.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Before starting a project, make sure as much of the scope of work (SOW) is outlined and approved beforehand as possible. That will save both money and time in the long run.

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

Without their help, we may have gone out of business. We saw a 1,000% increase over the maximum capacity of our legacy systems, over 48,000 orders per day, and an average of 75 million page views and 2.3 million unique users each month in 2017.

How did SolutionStream perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a great job from a project management standpoint. They integrated with our team, so we oversaw the whole project, but they were very responsive and willing to work a lot of overtime when needed. They put in the effort to accomplish our objectives and did an awesome job.

Jira was our main project management tool, but we also used Workfront for part of the project as a pure portfolio management tool.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were always focused on doing the right thing for us. They made good decisions that benefitted us and repeatedly reduced potential work to mitigate our costs. They were a true partner and always had our best interests in mind.

Their staff is very tenured. They brought in senior developers to work with us and the team remained fairly unchanged throughout the five years I worked with them. It’s challenging to keep good team members that long and that retention is noteworthy.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They did well throughout the five years I worked with them. If I could do it over again, we would have managed tech debt differently in the early stages of the process. We would have put more resources into responsibility for the architecture. We hired them as an outsourced chief architect, but didn’t share their vision with our internal team fast enough. We eventually got a handle on it, but could have done better in the beginning.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As with any vendor-client relationship, make sure they give you their best people. As long as you stay involved and ask them to maximize their resources, you’ll have a great experience.