SynergyTop

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Digital Business of 5 Digital Energy

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Energy consultants for businesses in USA and Mexico
 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Develop a internal facing transaction portal
• Create front end interface for DigitalEnergyby5.com

SOLUTION

How did you find SynergyTop?

Online Search

Why did you select SynergyTop over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from SynergyTop were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Our company created a new business line to better serve smaller businesses. We chose to develop a website for clients to transact as well as a back-end portal for internal users to facilitate those transactions. The information to display in both the website and portal required a lot of logic based off user inputs. The key deliverables were 

1. a back-end portal for internal users that stored information and allowed the user to update logic, 
2. a web application of the customer flow to be embedded on a WordPress website, 
3. an API for the input driven logic, 
4. an iframe to embed on other websites if we so choose.
    

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our company developed the scope and SynergyTop helped update that. We created a high level development plan that was referenced periodically in the beginning of the project. We evolved to a daily scrum call where we continuously discussed bug resolution and code adjustments.

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

Throughout the term of the project, there were a few different project managers. Because of that, there were a few different iterations of the same concepts we were trying to convey. With that being said, they were patient with the inexperience our team brought to the table in a project of this size.

What was your primary form of communication with SynergyTop?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

We chose SynergyTop as our vendor to complete this project because their proposed cost was dramatically lower than the other developers who presented bids. We are very pleased with the end result based on their fee structures.

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

Creating and development game plan and sticking to it. If there is a criticism I have of SynergyTop, it is that I don't think the project was well managed. There was a lot of back-and-forth that could have been eliminated if there was a better defined strategy on how they were going to complete the project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of multiple fintech and marketing organizations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We have used SynergyTop for (2) complex e-commerce development projects, the first project (WellnessGifted) involved the creation of an e-commerce platform in the BtoB space with custom architecture and development around "one to many" ordering. The second project was a complex e-commerce initiative in the Affiliate/Direct Selling space (Bee's Knees), the project required integration with a back end compensation/shopping cart provider and a fulfillment shop. SynergyTop had to learn about the back end vendor for integration.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We originally selected SynergyTop for WellnessGifted through a referral, they were timely, organized and cost effective with their responses. They did a great job on the first project so the second project was an easy decision.

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

For WellnessGifted we created a solution, project plan and deliverables (mostly internal). We decided to go with WOO Commerce, Square and custom development for the One to Many functionality.

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

2-3 people from the CEO to Project Management.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The general feedback is that the system was completed on time and worked for our customers.

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

SynergyTop manages from soling a Business Problem (key)-They really want to understand the problem so they can give you their input on potential ideas and then a timeline and project deliverable document is delivered and followed.

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

They will go the extra mile and come up with solutions based on their great history, they listen to the business problem.

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

No, they did a great job.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the COO of Recover . Recover is a healthcare platform focused on connecting patients with physical therapists through telehealth. Physical Therapists are able to mark their availability through a calendar interface, and patients are able to schedule appointments with the physical therapists in their openings. The platform provides quick and easy access for patients to physical therapists. Physical therapists and/or physical therapy clinics can use Recover to fill cancelations that arise within their own practice.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired SynergyTop to create the web ap which allowed physical therapy providers to mark their ability and patients to schedule with the providers. We needed a calendar interface for scheduling, video for the telehealth aspect, templates for the physical therapy notes, a way to collect and distribute funds, a way to view and retrieve notes, and the ability to run reports and edit accounts through an admin portal.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I found SynergyTop through an online search for a local San Diego company that does web/ap development after we had an unsuccessful experience with another company in India.

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

This included mock ups and wireframes initially. Once we had this outlined, the developers worked on account registration for patients/clinics/physical therapists, log in, scheduling, profile management, accepting and distributing payments via Stripe, video conferencing via Twilio, text/email notifications to patients and providers, note templates, and admin portal. Then the team did quality assurance: functional and UI testing.

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

I believe there were 2 different project managers I worked with and then 2 other team members that I only worked with a few times on smaller tasks such testing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team successfully devilvered our web ap, and we will work with them as we get feedback from users to make the web ap even more user friendly. In the future we will be able to turn the web ap into a mobile ap. Please note: you can use Recover on a mobile device, but we plan to turn into a downloadable ap in the future. We will use SynergyTop for SEO.

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

The project management was impeccable. Synergy Top is very organized and transparent. Expectations were spelled out in the proposal, and then we used Jira for the project management software. During some of the meetings we would go over an excel spreadsheet where details of project were clearly presented and the team checked in with me to make sure all areas had been addressed.

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

SynergyTop was very speedy in their responses and development. The only slacker was me and my partner because we both had full time jobs outside of the project. I found SynergyTop to be very patient and understanding with me. The were extremely professional with all correspondence.

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

It would have been better for me to have early afternoon meetings, however, due to the time difference, early morning or late evening meetings ended up working out for us all.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of subscription box company in the holistic spiritual wellness space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SynergyTop?

We had a fully functioning website but it wasn’t reflective of the business model that we wanted. As a subscription service we wanted to push visitors to sign up for a subscription, not just a one-time purchase. We noticed that there were too many steps to the checkout page and wanted to design it in a way that leads visitors to a subscription.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created code on our Shopify site to improve our UI/UX. We sent them our brand book and gave them windows of exactly how we wanted it to flow. They built it according to those requirements. They also presented different options because mobile was important to us.

We got mockups every 3–5 business days. We selected what we wanted and they built it into the code. They integrated all the apps that we had on there, along with recommendations of ones they thought would be better. They did a bit of design on the buttons within the page, too.

What is the team composition?

We worked with one person from their team.

How did you come to work with SynergyTop?

We posted on LinkedIn and they reached out to us. They were very prompt and professional and weren’t very salesy. We scheduled a call and they did a lot of listening. It felt like they were there to provide a service based off our needs.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent close to $8,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2020, and we wrapped up in February 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were really good at delivering what we wanted but they also offered little suggestions here and there. Even within the first few days we saw our time on site increase from 20 seconds to 35 seconds. The number of pages they visit has also increased.

How did SynergyTop perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was stellar. They were very communicative about any delays or unrealistic timelines from the get go. We had our own project management that they used and they also had access to our Slack channels. They took very thorough notes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Communication is number one for me and they were really great at being available. It never felt like I was struggling to reach them. We made a lot of changes along the way and they were great at being flexible to support us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The actual financing wasn’t crystal clear. It would’ve been great if there was a bit more formality around the billing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to have a standing weekly call to touch base. I would recommend that, in case anything falls through the cracks.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the marketing head with The Youth Project.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SynergyTop?

We hired SynergyTop for SEO ranking and overall Digital Marketing.

What were your goals for this project?

To improve SEO ranking of our website along with getting more traffic and enhancing search visibility on Google.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

From Google

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

They are working in a systematic manner and the team is quite cooperative and i am happy to work with them.

What was the team composition?

I am dealing with the Digital Marketing Manager and his team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have effectively improved our SEO ranking and now we are able to reach to the target market.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The digital marketing manager that we were assigned was easy to communicate with and provided us frequent updates. Overall, I was impressed by the timeliness of the team.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I found the marketing team very easy to communicate with and the digital marketing manager was very keen regarding the work and the deadlines. The team was quite punctual and came up with really good results for our company.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We are satisfied with their work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and CEO of One Centricity, an online self-care marketplace. We sell products and services in the self-care industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SynergyTop?

We were working with another developer on a custom dashboard development project. Unfortunately, our engagement wasn’t working out, so we partnered with SynergyTop to complete the project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SynergyTop was responsible for building a customized dashboard for our vendors. The dashboard contains a booking system as well, for out of state partners. We have a robust backend, which SynergyTop helped to simplify so we can produce our products and services more quickly and seamlessly. Aesthetically, the team chose fonts and colors, created a customized template, and designed buttons.

What is the team composition?

Priya (Business Development Director) was my main point of contact.

How did you come to work with SynergyTop?

I found them on UpWork, where they had good reviews. They also had a reasonable price point and were local to our offices, so I knew I could meet with them in person if I needed to.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $6,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our collaboration began in October 2019 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re actually about to launch our platform today. Because of SynergyTop’s work, we’re extremely confident in our product’s performance. We’re sure that everything will work well and that, as we move forward, the team will be available if we have any site maintenance issues or bugs. 

How did SynergyTop perform from a project management standpoint?

Priya is extremely responsive and well organized. I can email her and expect to hear back in minutes. We use Google Docs to send over instructions and requirements, and their turnaround time is extremely quick. If we assign a task to the team, it’s usually done within the week. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication really stands out. I constantly ask questions, because I’m not really a tech person, and SynergyTop is always willing to make sure I understand exactly what’s happening. They make the technicalities of the project really accessible. Also, every time a task is completed, we go over that particular task before moving on to the next, which is a level of organization I really appreciate.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, the engagement has gone really well.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open and honest with them, and tell them exactly what you need. Even if you’re not a tech person and you’re unsure if they can make it happen, SynergyTop will be able to cut through what you’re saying and deliver something that makes sense.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a startup in the development stage. We’re developing a contact lens that delivers a glaucoma drug to the eye. I’m the VP of Commercial.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SynergyTop?

We needed to find a succinct way to describe exactly what glaucoma is and how it affects individuals globally. Also, how our solution provides a differentiated and disruptive therapy which, we believe will ultimately prevail in the fight against glaucoma.

We’re in a fundraising mode, so we need to be able to explain to prospective investors how we’re different very quickly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with an outline, a basic script. They did everything from refining the script to the rest of the work to put together the explainer video and animation development. They did the artwork and chose the voiceover and music (with our input), for example. They did the heavy lifting on the development side so we could communicate our story very effectively.

What is the team composition?

We had one project manager. Their senior executives were involved at some level. I can’t say how many people were involved, but I also had contact with one of their creatives, occasionally.

How did you come to work with SynergyTop?

We vetted maybe eight companies that had this capability, narrowed it down to four, and asked them for proposals. We looked globally; SynergyTop is based in San Diego but does a lot of their work in India. Everyone sent in quotes and, based on that and their capabilities, as well as our founder’s pre-existing relationship with SynergyTop, we went with them. Their proposal was also the most cost-effective.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Timeliness was a big factor for us. We brought them in in January and had to start fundraising in March. The project officially started in February 2020, and we had the video done by the end of March. We were able to squeeze a 6–8 week-long project into four weeks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They definitely produced a beneficial deliverable in the sense that we immediately dropped it into our pitch deck and threw it on our website. It’s not the only thing driving, but it’s definitely helping us get some fundraising attention. It answers questions very quickly. We were looking for the “wow” factor, and, so far, we’ve been able to produce it. We’ve been so happy with the product and how we got there. We got a lot of value and a beneficial deliverable fast.

How did SynergyTop perform from a project management standpoint?

The biggest thing, other than the value we got from the cost-effectiveness, was that they were able to complete the project in such a short timeframe. The truncated schedule required a ton of communication back and forth, and the team was super responsive. They worked really hard to get this done.

There were a lot of emails going back and forth. Because it’s a video format, there were some very specific questions and answers. We did through written communication and immediate follow-ups by phone. They were very receptive to having calls and always asked great questions we expounded upon. At the end of every call, we made sure we understood what the expectations for both sides were in terms of requirements, schedules, etc. I was very pleased.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I would say it’s their passion for the work, along with their willingness to undertake the challenge of our short timeframe. Sometimes, when you talk to partners like this, they’ll commit to the short timeframe but you can hear in the voice that there’s a question if they can get it done. With SynergyTop, there was no question.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Communication is always a challenge. Because we hadn’t worked together before, it took a few days to establish the correct communication cadence. I won’t say that’s an improvement that we or they could have done, but it’s definitely something we’ll sort out quickly when we use them again.

There was a huge difference between the tone, content, and pace between the kick-off meeting and final delivery. We gained comfort with each other and learned how the other worked.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Number one, make sure SynergyTop’s management is fully committed and has the knowledge base to help guide the project along. The second thing is to absolutely make sure to align expectations right from the very beginning. Where a lot of projects go sideways is when partners have different expectations. In our case, we were both clear about our expectations and needs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director of Coast Flight Training.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SynergyTop?

We were doing a weekly 1-hour seminar to educate people on our business, and we worked with Synergy to turn all of that information into an interactive online web portal. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided the design and they executed on the web development for us. They worked on the full messaging and development for us, including all of the information for the entire process of becoming an airline pilot. They created dozens of pages with customized, interactive information, including charts and graphs. All of the animations and pop-ups were implemented by them, too. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with a handful of people, at least 4–5 of their teammates. 

How did you come to work with SynergyTop?

I found them through a talent sourcing platform. I interviewed 4–5 development groups but they seemed the most competent and their pricing was great. I felt like they’d be able to deliver on time. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $50,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–April 2017. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our seminar was costing our company a lot of money and time, since it takes a lot of bandwidth for everyone to engage in it once a week. Because of the platform they developed, we were able to run marketing campaigns immediately, effectively replacing our full seminar and giving our team their effort back.

We ended up getting thousands of people to the site, many of whom became students. The average time on the portal is about 14 minutes, which is quite a long time compared to normal websites. 

How did SynergyTop perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great and really communicative. Their team was always on time. All of our feedback was welcomed and applied to the work. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were incredibly good at front- and backend software development. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

If they want to, they could grow into more services.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have really clear expectations about your timeline and scope. As long as you have everything defined, they’ll be the most effective group to work with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the co-founder and COO at Bridge2PT. We're an online platform that connects physical therapists and patients. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SynergyTop?

We were looking for a vendor to design and develop our website. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a lot of privacy requirements, which we discussed with SynergyTop. Then, they built our website, managing both front- and backend development. It's a full web-based service where a patient can search for a physical therapist in their area and book a physical therapist for a one-hour treatment in their home. The payments are also processed through the website. It was a collaborative process, and SynergyTop helped us test all the individual functions and scenarios. 

What is the team composition? 

We work with one of their owners and three or four other members of their team. 

How did you come to work with SynergyTop?

They were recommended to us by the developer we were originally working with. We liked what SynergyTop had to offer, so we decided they’d be a great fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $25,000–$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement? 

We started working with them in May 2018 and the relationship is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're in the process of onboarding physical therapists right now, so we haven't had many appointments yet. But, we've tested all the functionality, and we're confident that the website is reliable and runs as it should. My partner and I are both physical therapists and we don't know how to build a website, so there were some challenges along the way. But overall, we're happy with the work SynergyTop has done for us. 

How did SynergyTop perform from a project management standpoint? 

We use Jira to keep track of the project, which is very helpful because we didn't have a good way of tracking each task before that. We also use Zoom for our daily calls. When we have a tight deadline, we talk more often. We all try to be very clear and make sure that we're on the same page, so it's been a smooth process.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They've been able to take our ideas and bring them to life, breaking down the bigger picture that we presented to them into manageable tasks. Also, the communication has been very strong and we haven't had any issues with the billing. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Early on, my partner and I would get frustrated if the website was down because of some change that was being implemented. That was largely from a misunderstanding on our part that if they're changing something on the live website, it's going to be down. So the only thing we'd do differently is implementing all the changes earlier in the development process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear vision of where you want to go, so that you have minimal changes later on. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the director of operations of a global dance workout movement.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SynergyTop?

We reached out to SynergyTop to update our website, providing design and development services in the process. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SynergyTop initially automated different membership levels and logins for our WordPress website. They provide additional web development design and development services as needed. 

What is the team composition? 

I work with a project manager and a few developers.

How did you come to work with SynergyTop?

They were recommended by my boss's brother, who had been working with them for many years. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested between $20,000–$30,000 thus far. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since October 2017. The website was launched in February 2019, mostly due to some delays on my end. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Both our internal team and our customers are very happy with the work they've done. SynergyTop significantly improved the look, user-friendliness, and performance of the website. Although the speed of the site isn't great, they're constantly working to optimize it. 

How did SynergyTop perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication is excellent overall. We usually have weekly meetings to go over everything and track project progress and tickets in Jira. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a strong team with a broad set of expertise. They're on top it; they do their research to find the right plugins that help us customize our site as needed. They're also diligent about figuring out the best solutions for our unique challenges.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, no. They continue to be a great partner. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take time at the beginning of the project to figure out the best methods of tracking work and communicating, whether it's using Jira or another tool. Also, be open and honest about project requirements from the start, as well as any pressing deadlines.