THINKSMART

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a digital producer at Los & Co. We are an independent, international, full-service marketing agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire THINKSMART?

We required a developer to create web campaigns for several of our clients. Our needs ranged from building a single page to much larger, much more complex projects.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted solutions that reflected the sophistication and detail-driven orientation of our Norwegian users.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We received three or four bids and met with those vendors to learn more about their process, what their language skills were, their past work, and cost. Then, we asked two of them (including THINKSMART) to get a more specific estimate. In the end, what I liked most about THINKSMART was their project process and the ability to have direct contact with developers. 

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

The provided front- and backend development for the various campaigns. While most of the sites they created were on WordPress using Javascript, PHP, and CSS, they also built some sites on a custom platform. We always gave them fully fleshed-out project descriptions and timelines, KPIs, and design sketches. We also set up various tools and platforms for us to manage projects together and share documents.

What was the team composition?

Their team included front- and backend developers and a project manager/tester.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our productivity has increased since we began working with THINKSMART.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We primarily communicated through Basecamp, Skype, and Google Hangouts. Communicating with them was quick, simple, and efficient.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their transparency about all aspects of the project was always a big benefit. They were communicative about any issues that arose or any challenges they anticipated.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

No. They learned from every challenge and experience they had throughout this process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of World of KAMA, a Norwegian company. We produced an app for grandparents to interact more closely with their families.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with THINKSMART?

We wanted to create intuitive, easy-to-use apps for iOS and Android for a target audience that has virtually no experience with digital communication or apps. It's a communication platform that facilitates easier family interactions than WhatsApp.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Since we’re a startup of creatives and non-technical people, they helped us understand the steps to creating an app. Their CTO sat down with us and designed the project development steps, which we fulfilled by designing the features and payment system.

We focused on a few intuitive features that people could use without being overwhelmed, including an exchange for photos and videos to let family members know what someone is up to. The app also helps you share everyday highlights and events and contact family members. THINKSMART differentiated the platform by reducing the required interaction to get in touch with other people.  Throughout the project, they explained their progress on the app’s UX/UI and its logical structure.

They also built in a system that allows people to test and subscribe to it first.

What is the team composition?

Their CTO was our main contact. We had a team of three developers, each with a specified function.

How did you come to work with THINKSMART?

They were recommended to us, and we had heard about them in the Norwegian market. We called them and had a good feeling after speaking with them.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent around $75,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from August 2017–March 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since we haven’t had enough funds to push our marketing, our download numbers aren't very big. However, we’re happy it’s in the online app stores, and after amazing market feedback, we are moving to the next investment phase.

How did THINKSMART perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated by phone, email, and video conferencing, as well as in person. Their project management helped us a lot, and their methodology worked well for us. Where we were lacking, they filled in. It went so smoothly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They had a lot of patience with us, which was helpful. In a startup, there's pressure to fill many different positions. They helped us make the right decisions and suggested logical next steps. They weren’t just checking off boxes and doing what needed to be done; they proactively gave us advice. The teamwork was great, and we’ve already recommended them to others.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could have pushed us to think faster, but they were very nice. They understood that we were under amazing pressure and extreme deadlines.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a project manager on board. If I had known that the process would be so time-consuming, I would have found someone to manage the project for me. There were many nights and days that I needed to be involved to make decisions, but they did a very good job of handling that.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a project manager and consultant at Halogen AS, a design and web agency. We specialize in service design, digital UX, systems-oriented design, and design for safety-critical environments.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire THINKSMART?

We needed help redesigning the frontend of hydro.com. 

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to maintain our existing desktop design but make it mobile friendly. We needed to redesign the structure, key elements, several special pages, and rewrite the code. We needed their work to be done in an efficient and streamline manner.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We have a close cooperation with Thinksmart that spans several years and multiple projects. When we needed additional frontend developers, Thinksmart was naturally our first choice.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

Thinksmart's team redesigned our frontend using Javascript. They tested the features, fixed bugs, and consulted us on any issues. The development project lasted over 5–6 weeks.

What was the team composition?

Their team consisted of 1–3 developers who acted as an extension of our design and development team. They worked closely with me and our designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work changed both the way we organized and worked intermittently. Their developers delivered the most efficient and streamlined work I've ever seen.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The project management was conducted by myself and our lead developer. The two developers started their first week at our headquarters to familiarize themselves with the project and to plan future tasks. After that, we used Skype to coordinate tasks. The project went smoothly, and we spent little time on coordinating issues; It didn't feel like they were in another country.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I am impressed by the flexibility and high level of service provided by Thinksmart. The developers were not only conscious delivering quality code but were also excellent consultants; They always helped find good solutions to issues at hand.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CTO of a social tech startup that created a new platform for a welfare society.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with THINKSMART?

We needed web and mobile app development services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We began working with them during our early phase, so they have been with us from the start as part of the development team. We worked directly with key resources there.

We do agile development, working together through several iterations of the product. The core of the product is a mobile application and the key technology is React and React Native, with JavaScript on the server side. We first made a web application and then a mobile web application. After that, they developed a React Native client on iOS and Android.

A lot of the design work is done by our in-house team, then we discuss the designs and how they can be implemented technically. We also validate them with our users before doing creating the sprints and doing the development.

What is the team composition?

We work with two developers, who we have a very good relationship with, as well as the owner.

How did you come to work with THINKSMART?

We had an existing relationship through an old network and chose them because of that personal connection.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2016 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We moved from having a startup in the pilot phase to now having a real product out there with licensed customers. We're continuing to develop the product a lot and they are still with us on this journey.

In general, we're really happy with the collaboration. The people on their team are really experienced.

How did THINKSMART perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a strong partnership. We work in sprints and set out goals using the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) framework. The requirements are based on the strategic goals from the OKR, following which, they do the design and development. We use Slack, Trello, and Zeplin for design delivery and to stay connected.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a unique mindset, the ability to finish work on time, and the ability to be agile. When we validate the product with the market, we see what needs to be adjusted, so it's very important that we have a development team that understands those issues and can resolve them properly. It takes some special developers to be a part of that journey and they have just the right mindset.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could expand on their QA services. They work as consultants for now and expanding into the natural services around their work would be a positive step for them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They're a really good development partner and you can easily outsource development work to them. They're really good at the latest JavaScript framework and if you are considering building a React Native application, they're a good fit. They used over 95% of the code base across Android and iOS and have one developer who is able to maintain two mobile platforms.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a digital advisor at an advertising agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire THINKSMART?

We hired THINKSMART to support most of our custom digital development projects.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to create a tool to help sell more apartments.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We’d had a positive earlier experience working with THINKSMART, so we hired them again for this more recent engagement.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

THINKSMART assigned technical resources to our project for both frontend and backend development. Other forms of support included advisors and project management specialists. 

What was the team composition?

The team from THINKSMART included a project manager, front-end developer, and backend developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

THINKSMART delivered our project on time and in line with our expectations.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

THINKSMART managed the workflow very well.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team from THINKSMART provided a high level of service.