Stout Systems Development, Inc.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the IT director for a software company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Stout Systems Development, Inc?

We’ve used them for several different projects over the past few years. They help with a variety of technical challenges.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve helped us with some of our system improvements, including migrating code to newer technologies and developing some of the components of our modules. We usually present them with our requirements and they work to deliver on them. They’re capable of managing an entire project from start to finish, but we typically use them for portions of any given module.

What is the team composition?

We usually work with Dave (Chief Technologist, Stout Systems Development, Inc) and Peg (President, Stout Systems Development, Inc). There are a few other people who assist them on various projects.

How did you come to work with Stout Systems Development, Inc?

The relationship was already in place when I joined the company. I’m not sure what the hiring considerations were.

How much have you invested with them?

I don’t know the exact number, but the total is well into tens of thousands of dollars.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together over five years ago, and the collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They always deliver all the components we ask for on time and with a high degree of quality. Dave in particular provides reliable technical advice and brings up issues we might otherwise miss. They’re very capable and leverage their experience to ensure better outcomes.

How did Stout Systems Development, Inc perform from a project management standpoint?

They typically don’t run full projects, but we know they are capable of doing so. We present our requirements and get an estimate from them. If the value is there, we move forward. They manage all the elements on their side very well, and I can’t say enough good about Dave. We communicate several times a week during the course of any given project and are pretty involved in the process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their professionalism is particularly impressive. They understand our business needs and are straightforward and easy to communicate with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No; we’re very happy with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Use them. They work well with new customers and are quick to analyze problems and find solutions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the head of operations at a consulting firm that measures organizational culture and leadership development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Stout Systems Development Inc.?

The relationship we have with them precedes my time here, but over time, we’ve relied on them for a number of projects. Their most significant piece of work was building an application that serves as our primary project management and product delivery tool.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our firm creates online surveys for employees of our clients. This platform allows us to set up the surveys and distribute them via emails or web links. The platform then collects data, which are then transferred to our database. From there, we can create reports using online graphics and PDF exports that we deliver to our clients. There is also a web reporting function that we can enable so that our clients can directly access their results and make their own reports.

Since the product’s delivery, our in-house developers have taken over the responsibility of day-to-day maintenance. Still, there are some system problems we are unable to address, so we ask them to review the issue. Further, they have served as an outsourcing and placement firm to help us secure contract-to-hire talent. In some cases, we’ve brought them on board as employees.

What is the team composition?

At this point, I have a direct relationship with a developer and the president of the company.

How did you come to work with Stout Systems Development Inc.?

Our company had been working with an unsatisfactory vendor and was searching for a new partner. However, I am unsure of how we came to find Stout Systems Development Inc.

What is the status of this engagement?

I’d estimate that the engagement began in 2015. It remains ongoing as needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There is no doubt that the platform has been helpful. It helps us operate our business. Our employees who use it day-to-day find it intuitive and easy to use. Our new employees pick up its complexities reasonably quickly.

However, we also have other groups or stakeholders that are downstream consumers of the system, and they sometimes find it frustrating and challenging in the backend.

How did Stout Systems Development Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

Because I inherited the relationship after the product delivery, my interactions have been sporadic and on an as-needed basis. But their responsiveness is outstanding through either email or phone calls. I would consider the quality of our relationship to be excellent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Developing a personal relationship with them has been easy. They’re very knowledgeable and helpful. It feels like they are an extension of our company in a lot of ways. We don’t use them very regularly, but I know that when we call, they’ll be there, and we’re on a first-name basis.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Because they are also a talent acquisition service, we utilize those services at times. They have been good at screening those candidates’ technical skills, but there is room for improvement in how they screen for soft skills.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Future clients can expect a very warm, personal, and intelligent relationship.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Guardian Glass is one of the world's largest glass manufacturers. We produce high performance glass around the world for architectural, residential, interior, transportation, and technical applications. In my role as director of Global Technical Advisory Systems, I develop software platforms that provide custom content and facilitate comprehensive analytical modeling to demonstrate the advantages of high-performance glass.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Stout Systems Development, Inc.?

Stout Systems Development, Inc. has been a valued software development partner for several years. Our global software platform had expanded over the years, and it was time to evolve from a collection of web applications to a single-page application.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to redesign the UX of our tool suite and create an intuitive, single-page experience that invites users to explore the possibilities of glass in architecture. The existing UX required users to navigate through the tools to locate the functionality they needed. We envisioned a new UX that brought functionality to the user via dismissible controls.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The decision to work with them was fairly easy. They already understood us, and our past experience was excellent. The only unknown was their level of UX design expertise. Their advantage in the selection process was their deep understanding of our software tools. Once they presented their execution plan, our decision was clear.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They modernized the underlying toolchain and created the necessary frameworks and libraries to support the new development. They implemented the new toolchain and stack decisions, then migrated data access layer technology to an entity framework. They created localization infrastructure, optimized layouts, and implemented translations. They designed and implemented a Single Page Application container, then designed the layout and controllers for the full slate of functionality.

What was the team composition?

Their chief technologist provided overall technical leadership and coordinated human factors analysis and conceptual UX design. Their senior ASP.NET developers built the UI. Their VP of operations managed scheduling and coordination of resources and deliverables.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

They maintained the highest level of functionality throughout this project. This project is not yet fully deployed, but early user feedback is excellent and our expectations are high.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Stout Systems Development, Inc. combines direct dialogue, online resources, and comprehensive insight to advance the project. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their dedication is extremely impressive. They act as a seamless extension of my team.   

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can suggest nothing of substance. This is a thoughtfully staffed and managed company.