Toucan Systems

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Key Account Manager at Group AV, a modern design and implementation studio, offering services in the field of exhibition and multimedia techniques.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to create a modern and elegant interactive solution for the Museum of Amber in Gdańsk. The interactive part of exhibition needed to be specificaly tailored with the existing part of the exhibition and had to be compliant with usability and accessibility standards specific for this type of venue.

We also had to fit in very narrow time window right before Winter Holidays time.

SOLUTION

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

We discussed the specific needs for this project with Toucan Systems - a company that we have previously worked with many times and we were positive that both deadline and requirements for this project will be met.

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

Toucan Systems have prepared a multimedia setting for interactive workstations located within Museum of Amber Gdańsk, with such stations as:

• high resolution interactive map of amber fossil around the globe
• virtual dressing room for amber jewelery with interactive windows
• several multimedia games for childern and detailed presentationf of marco photography of the unique amber specimens

All multimedia workstation had to be controlled by one central applications - Toucan Systems NEST - which works as comprehensive management of AV installations with dedicated hardware as well as CMS solution for all the exhibition's multimedia stations easily managed by the museum staff.

Toucan NEST is Toucan Systems' service and all workstation applications were made in Unity.

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

Our main point of contact was a project manager for the whole process. There were 2 Unity developers, a graphic designer, 2 net engineers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work resulted in client satisfaction, and consequently new projects.

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

The project management was great. They regularly met deadlines. We communicated through zoom and personally.

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

Full transparency of activities and flexibility in approach to various issues .

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

High-level quality, which carries costs.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

My company deals with audiovisual systems. I am a CTO in the company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We realized an interactive exhibit that consisted of various multimedia stations. Toucan Systems realized for us a comprehensive multimedia applications and prepared a system to manage the exhibition. The challenge in this type of project is multidisciplinarity, as integration with hardware is necessary in addition to software and design.

SOLUTION

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

Toucan Systems has done many similar projects for us and for other companies. They have a lot of experience and a good reputation on the market.

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

As part of the project, Toucan Systems prepared the design of the application, then programmed it and in the final stage implemented and integrated everything with the hardware. The interactive applications were developed in Unity.

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

I had contact with the board, project manager, art director and installer. I didn't have direct contact with programmers and graphic designers so I don't know how many people were involved in the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was completed smoothly, on time and on budget. We are very satisfied with the cooperation.

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

Communication with key managers was through direct attendance at coordination meetings, telephone calls, and email arrangements. Project implementation went very well.

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

Toucan Systems' skills were quite unique, allowing them to do multidisciplinary projects efficiently. This is convenient for us because it allows us to engage fewer subcontractors. The project managers on the Toucan Systems side are also efficient because we do not have to actively participate in the discussions between the investor and the subcontractor, which is Toucan Systems.

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

Rather not.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

AV integrator responsible for the design and installation of an audio, video and control system for an interactive exhibition

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We realized for our client a multimedia exhibition with about 100 stands. Toucan Systems was responsible for projection mapping on 32 projectors and exhibition management system. A maintenance contract is currently in progress, which Toucan Systems is reliably fulfilling.

SOLUTION

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

The decisive criterion was experience. We have done other similar projects with Toucan Systems and we are always sure that the project will be well executed.

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

The project was based on preliminary documentation developed by the client. Our team then designed detailed solutions using specific technologies and products. The first stage was therefore the preparation of detailed documentation, then the implementation of the project according to the detailed documentation, implementation and now the maintenance stage.

The project was extensive and various technologies were used. Toucan Systems prepared the software in Unity as well as in web technologies.

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

About 10 people were involved in the project. We had direct contact with the board of directors, project manager, team leader, art director and technician.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The realization of the project went smoothly as always in common projects. Technical problems that arose during the implementation were expressly solved on an ongoing basis.

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

Toucan Systems works using agile methodologies. They are very flexible in adapting to changing requirements during implementation, which is very important, because in multimedia projects the final effect can be felt only after all the elements have been installed and sometimes it turns out that corrections and modifications need to be made quickly.

Communication takes place through emails, phone calls and coordination meetings, as these are the preferences of our customers.

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

Experience and unique competencies are very important to us. Toucan Systems has competences in both software and hardware so that we can limit the number of subcontractors and the number of connection points between them. We are very satisfied with the quality of the graphic work.

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

The project was challenging and difficult and was a success. Rather, there was no room for improvement on any factor.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the technical director at TRIAS AVI, an audiovisual integrator.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Toucan Systems?

We needed an outside partner for software contracts.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re a systems integrator and they work on applications and multimedia content. We’ve collaborated on between five and seven projects. They created multimedia applications—including presentations and games—for delivery to interactive museums. For a larger project, they created a CMS to function as a control software platform, through which we could control audiovisual equipment. We have other ongoing projects.

What is the team composition?

I work with a project manager.

How did you come to work with Toucan Systems?

My company first engaged with them before I arrived.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent €250,000 (about $280,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2015 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re happy to continue working with them. Every project is different, and we’ve figured out delays and other issues in the course of the relationship.

How did Toucan Systems perform from a project management standpoint?

They manage the project through their own in-house tool. We’ve communicated well and they usually meet deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re good problem solvers. I can rely on them to help us with any technical issues we may face during integration. They have a strong understanding of software and electronics, and they’ve helped us in some unexpected situations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

On our last project, they faced some issues with editing and providing knowledge-based content for the end user. They had some issues in finding proper experts to help them with that, but that has nothing to do with Toucan Systems’ technical abilities.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

No, I can’t think of anything.