Sprint Innovations

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder and CEO of The Depositary a B2B PropTech solution for UK residential letting agents to streamline their tenancy conclusion process whilst remaining regulatory compliant.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sprint Innovations, and what were your goals?

We hired Sprint as our dev partner to not only build what was told but to advise on best practice, emerging UX/UI principles, streamline the user journey and experience. As a self-funded project, we needed to be able to easily control our spend dialing it up/down as needed relatively flexibly. The aim was to deliver a quality end product for a fraction of the dev costs often seen.

SOLUTION

How did you select Sprint Innovations and what were the deciding factors?

Choosing Sprint was actually a very easy decision- their track record of clients and projects, Chris' clear knowledge and passion for delivering quality solutions, their 'best practice' approach to everything they do, quality communications and total ownership of their work. Haven't regretted it once- they are amazing.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

This has been a 4-year project to date with years still ahead. Originally this started with the dev and testing of an MVP, learning led to version 2 which was delpoyede and used, lessons learned, and v3 delivered which was (gently) opened to market and has received rave feedback. During the pandemic we effectively treated the last 6 months as an 'open beta', learned a lot, tweaked a lot- have an amazing product. Java backend, google angular front, complex build with a myriad of customisation options for clients and now working on a pipeline of integration with 30+ providers.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We primarily work with about 5 of their team at Sprint from Chris taking the technical lead to Martin their lead Dev, Georgia running projects and comms smoothly and others. Teams have scaled up and down according to project being worked on at that time and skillsets needed to deliver it.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We have had numerous investment/acquisition offers to date which would have delivered handsome returns but is not our path at this time. Our objective was to reduce client workload by 80% and we have already hit that in year 1 and we are now setting our sights on 95%+. Feedback from clients has been phenomenal, in what can be a tricky and demanding marketplace, and that is amazing at such an early live product stage.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

Realistic expectations, good comms, some more complex issues did take longer and cost more than originally anticipated but that is just life- as we fleshed out sope and specification this altered what was being undertaken. All in all faultless.

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

Their desire to deliver a quality service but also to ensure your product is the best it can be. The fact they are regularly coming to us saying 'we were thinking about changing this section/interface' or 'we think this process would be improved by doing x'- that's what you want- a dev team that engages with the project not just delivering what they are told to.

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

The only 'failing' if you can call it that was really mine- as a self-funded project I didn't appreciate or understand the time it would take to build the quality of the product we wanted with the budget we had. Our scope of the project also varied as the project became ever bigger and complex. However it comes back to the age old adage- I can do it fast, I can do it cheap and I can do it well- pick two. We did quality for a reasonable price- so our compromise was speed of delivery.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a real estate investment firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sprint Innovations?

The existing business management operations softwares weren’t fit for our purposes, so we were looking for some custom development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked collaboratively with Sprint Innovations to create a custom, bespoke software to handle the day-to-day management needs of the portfolio. The team provided development and design services.

The software handles two main uses. The first is the day-to-day management of the portfolio and the tenants in it. It also handles the contracts, rent payment, and interaction between our customers and our team. The system streamlines communication across the entire process.

The frontend is done in Angular, CSS3, and HTML5. The backend uses Java, Spring, Hibernate, and Stack Driver. The system also uses Google Cloud. 

What is the team composition?

Chris (Founder & CEO) is my main contact. The developers or designers are available if I need to talk with them.

How did you come to work with Sprint Innovations?

I was introduced to the team through a mutual contact. I interviewed four companies in total, but when it came down to it, Sprint Innovations was the better choice. They had more reasonable pricing while offering the latest technologies as well as the direct support of the head of the company.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested £200,000 (approximately $184,000 USD) so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began the project in August 2017, and it is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Sprint Innovations’ work reduced processing time in several areas. For example, before we built our system, it took 5-10 days to onboard a new resident once they made a booking. We were using 2-3 systems, along with some manual steps, to handle payments, screening, contracts, and other aspects of the portfolio.

Using the new system, that time has been reduced to five minutes. The solution also helps optimize many of the key drivers that directly influence our bottom line, which has optimized our revenue and minimized vacancies.

How did Sprint Innovations perform from a project management standpoint?

The team did do a pretty good job. They use Agile Scrum methodology, doing two-week sprints. Any timeline delays were a result of me changing my mind at the last minute. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Chris is a genuinely nice guy and it shows in the way his company functions. Unlike other companies I’ve experienced, they actually care about helping the customer achieve their goals.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we’ve had a positive engagement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be thorough on the scope of the project, and be aware that if you change it, the timeline will be affected. Spring Innovations is great at leading the way, and if this is your first project, you are in great hands with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of a company that does employee screenings for the UK market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sprint Innovations?

We hired them for an app development project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project was based on an app that already existed. They were tasked with elevating the look and feel of the app while significantly enhancing its functionality. The app was created for both iOS and Android. At this point, they provide us with the maintenance of the app. 

What is the team composition?

There were 5–6 people involved in the work. However, there were three people that were consistently working with us from start to finish. There was a project manager assigned to us.

How did you come to work with Sprint Innovations?

They were recommended by a friend who was also using them for software services.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent between £120,000–£150,000 (approximately $150,000–$187,000).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2018, and our collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our internal processes are much more efficient. We’re also able to handle a much greater volume of work without hiring any new staff. That was the outcome we were looking for at the beginning.  

How did Sprint Innovations perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything was completed in small sprints, and we were always kept up to date on their progress. They were slightly delayed because of a scope change, but they still came in on budget. Their communication was strong.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re willing to brainstorm ideas with us and share their thoughts. Instead of doing exactly what we ask, they think critically about our problems and play an active role in solving them. They really helped share our solution in that way.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open with them about what you’re trying to achieve with each step of the process. They’ll have good ideas to share with you too.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work at Heron Financial, a brokerage that manages mortgages and personal insurances. We’ve historically worked with introducers who would allow us to meet clients. We spent a lot of time managing those relationships.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sprint Innovations?

We needed someone to manage the deluge of reporting and correspondence needs for managing the introducers. They want us to keep them up to date with progress and providing information. It was taking too much time to talk to and provide updates to clients. We were spending too much time on things that weren’t business-critical.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sprint Innovations helped us build a piece of software that allowed us to update client-company relations in real-time. It also allowed the client to log in and check the status of an application, with varying levels of permission given to users. Basically, they built a CRM system that powers our business on a day-to-day basis. They also offer a fantastic support team that allows our in-house team to understand functionalities and assist whenever something doesn’t work.

The system was built into Google Cloud. They constructed the platform in such a way that it was usable by anybody who had a similar skill set—it was in an open environment. Their team performed a large amount of wireframing and mockups for mobile and desktop. The team built out previews and showed them to us.

What is the team composition?

We deal with two people, one initial contact and one process manager. There are other people who help contribute to the project.

How did you come to work with Sprint Innovations?

They were referred to me on personal recommendation. We talked to a few people from the company. They’re not so big that they don’t have a personal touch with their clients, but they are large enough to cope with the demands we put on them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about £206,000 pounds ($244,650 USD) and the contract is set to continue.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2018. The project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The work has actually helped us go out and recruit more companies. It’s been demonstrated how the software can make more transparent relationships. We’ve increased the number of people that we talk to just through the software. They’re really good with pricing and staying within estimates. You get something they really care about because they work very hard on understanding your business.

How did Sprint Innovations perform from a project management standpoint?

They deliver on time, every time. Whenever there’s been a missed deadline, it’s because we’ve added another layer of complexity to the situation.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their personal service is impressive. They genuinely make an effort to know your business. They will go out of their way to understand the business, how you operate, the challenges you face, and the third parties you work with. It’s really good: you’re not getting something off the shelf.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Set a significant amount of time for the initial conversation. You need to budget a couple of hours to talk to them because you might not understand the full scope of their abilities from the website.