TowerHouse Studio

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the owner of Insurance Brokers of Arizona, a mid-size independent insurance agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TowerHouseStudio?

I hired TowerHouse Studio to customize our processes and workflows within Salesforce.

What were your goals for this project?

My objective was to streamline our processes to make them more efficient.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I researched several Salesforce developers globally before ultimately narrowing the candidates down to three firms. After having a video conference with each vendor, I found TowerHouseStudio's vision, ability to understand my needs, and knowledge to be the perfect fit.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They’ve designed, developed, tested, and then delivered/launched each of the development projects that we have done.

What was the team composition?

I have always had direct contact with Diego (Co-Founder & CEO, TowerHouseStudio) along with the resource directly working on my projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

These projects have helped save my team a ton of time, freeing them up to do more sales and servicing. This, in turn, brings in more revenue.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

There is a lot of communication throughout the projects.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I’m most impressed by their communication skills and ability to do exactly what they say they will.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, nothing at all. They’ve done a fabulous job.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder and CEO of a consulting firm. We're a marketplace landing business, dealing with student loans, focusing specifically on international students who come to the U.S. and study at top tier schools.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TowerHouseStudio?

We needed web and application development for our firm.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They've been with us since day 1, helping us build our brochureware site, the application platform, and the connectivity between that platform and our CRM solution.

They're a full-stack development shop. They use WordPress and PHP and are good at Salesforce connectivity. They also made sure that even though a mobile app was not on our short-term road map, it was something we considered when building the code. This way, the site remains responsive and viewable on mobile platforms until we build an app.

What is the team composition?

We initially worked with two developers and are now up to eight or nine developers.

How did you come to work with TowerHouseStudio?

We worked on a project together 10 years ago and remained in touch. They've built each of my last 5 startups.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them on this project in May 2014, and it is an ongoing collaboration.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are a fintech company, so technology is part of its overall viability. Without TowerHouse, we'd be in a different place. You can see the caliber of our website and platform. They do updates once every two weeks, and for the last four years, our website has been down for maybe five minutes total.

How did TowerHouseStudio perform from a project management standpoint?

They're expert users of JIRA. They've suggested internal modifications to our process, which we've benefited from. They excel in project management and accountability, and communication is clear. Everyone in our company treats TowerHouse as a member of the team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

One thing they do particularly well is feel like an integrated component to our team structure. They have presence on our Slack channels, JIRA boards, and Google docs, and I speak to Diego [CEO, TowerHouseStudio] several times a week.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We're often not on the bleeding edge of technology, though quite close. However, it's not a problem unique to TowerHouse, as Uruguay in general needs to catch up, and Diego and his team do a great job of hiring.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ask for their opinion, as they're willing to share their knowledge. Ask questions, don’t make assumptions in the technology, and take it from there.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I run a small consumer electronics company that creates products for media center environments.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TowerHouseStudio?

We faced a number of problems with projects in the past. Our previous e-commerce platform changed its terms of service and pricing model, and we wanted help evaluating other options.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They brought back a list of platform options for us, based upon our requirements. Those included various extensibility options and addons. The platform had be customizable to our needs. Some of the specific problems and tasks within that project were not intuitive, but they found the best option to suit our storefront and website needs.

We’ve worked together over several years building our storefront and modules. Those include solutions to maintain distributors and customer lists, and plugins for various websites. They work in HTML5 and Javascript, and have extensive full stack knowledge. They built the frontend UI [User Interface] onto the MySQL custom backend. We’ve also played with October CMS. Our next project will use more Javascript and Node.JS to develop a custom electron application.

What is the team dynamic?

They have several people working behind the scenes. I interface with members of their management, and each project has between two and ten team members, depending on the breadth.

How did you come to work with TowerHouseStudio?

I’m friends with a software director at a large company. I asked him his opinion, and he highly recommended them. They’ve lived up to his recommendation.

How much have you invested with them?

The last project cost $20,000–$30,000. We’ve worked together for a few years, and the total investment is near $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

This is an ongoing, years-long partnership.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their execution is amazing, and they have been an invaluable partner. Our launch was flawlessly successful, and my day to day operations rely upon some of the software they helped create.

How did TowerHouseStudio perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve given them the creative opportunity to solve problems, and they did so without needing guidance or micromanagement from me. They use the Jira bug-tracking utility to identify problems, and outline the schedule through Scrum. We have weekly or biweekly conference calls and touch base on existing issues, but most of their team management is internal on their side. I’ve never had an issue communicating with project leaders; their English is phenomenal.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their creative problem solving is a major asset. Some consultation firms need to have every detail outlined. Towerhouse is the only company I’ve worked with that is able to come up with solutions entirely on their own. Financially, they’re also extremely reasonable for the talent they provide.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO and co-founder of a finance platform that serves international students at top universities in the U.S. We've been in business for 4 years. We use big data and machine learning to pull international credit history and enhance credit decisions for students.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TowerHouseStudio?

We needed someone to build and refine our platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built our web-based and mobile-friendly platform with a Salesforce backend. They work with PHP and Java for our web-based technologies and do a bit of Python scripting. We’ve also modified the Salesforce platform in many different directions..

They're helping us optimize some aspects of the platform currently, and they've also helped with other tools and technologies we implemented in finance and other areas of the company. They function almost like an offshore tech or engineering department for us, rather than as a more transactional, outsourced technology firm.

What is the team dynamic?

We've worked with at least 5 of their developers. This includes a traditional developer, a lead engineer, a designer, and someone with Salesforce-specific experience. “Developer” is a bit too generic of a term—they have a few additional specialties that we're able to tap into.

How did you come to work with TowerHouseStudio?

My co-founder has worked with them in the past, and they do great work. They've done everything from building financial platforms to developing video games for mobile phones. They're very talented and exactly the group we needed to develop our platform.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March of 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have thousands of visitors every day, with a thousand potential customers hitting our platform and submitting applications every month. Customer feedback has been great from all corners of the world. One-third of users access our platform via mobile devices and are excited by that option.

I have nothing but amazing things to say about the work they've provided for us.

How did TowerHouseStudio perform from a project management standpoint?

They have a lead engineer that's assigned to the team. They clearly defined roles from the start and set up a very good routine. For instance, our CTO has a daily check-in call with them where they go over priorities and address anything that needs troubleshooting on the fly.

In terms of tools, they use JIRA and Slack. There's always an ongoing chat with the team. They’re available at all hours, and they go above and beyond to get the right results. We truly appreciate that.

Even though Diego [CEO, TowerHouseStudio] and the team and are on slightly different time zones, they adapt to U.S. hours. Their English level is pretty good. Some of them are U.S.-educated, and others have spent an extended period of time here. They work exclusively with U.S.-based clients, so it's a fairly seamless experience.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're like a tech team for our company. They very much integrate with our systems, routines, and check-in process, rather than asking for a task and doing it in a black box. I can't give specific examples, but if we had we opened a Uruguay office with our own software developers, there would've been no difference. That's how seamless the whole process has been.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They've been amazing overall, but we'd love even more resources in Uruguay. If we have very specific needs like a certain language or platform, they have to bring someone on board with that skill set. On the other hand, they’re usually able to bring in a specialist within weeks, whereas doing so would take months in the U.S.

Advice for potential customers?

Treat them as an offshore team rather than an outsource team. You get better results that way. It means you miss out on a more transactional relationship, but given the caliber of talent in Uruguay, I recommend treating them more like a part of the team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a streaming company that provides video content of ballet, theatre, and other general performances.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TowerHouseStudio?

We needed someone to rebuild our site and integrate marketing support.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They used WordPress to rebuild our website, and integrated it with Vimeo. We do a lot of integration and customization with Salesforce. We also aggregate plugins, including Stripe, to operate in different languages as well.

They operate as our internal IT, but they’re externalized. The last project they worked on for us was for a festival, and they created a streaming capability for us in 10 days. We launched the video onto the platform that they created, and people were able to comment on it. It was also fully integrated with marketing. This project took about 4–5 months to develop, and we ended up including a couple of additional features that weren’t in the original requirements.

What is the team dynamic?

The size of the team has varied over our relationship depending on how we develop certain things.

How did you come to work with TowerHouseStudio?

They came as a reference to us. Interestingly enough, they don’t handle our Latin American site, but they take care of everything else.

How much have you invested with them?

We started off at $60 per hour, but it’s since increased to $80 per hour. Sometimes, we go on a fixed priced rate depending on what we need done. We tend to get quotes from other companies, and also take into consideration the level of difficulty for any said project before engagement.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2012, and we’ve continued to have ongoing projects with them every month.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website definitely reduced our time to go to market once we actually started working with them, because we change it every 2 weeks. It gives us the flexibility to be able to push things out, which we weren’t able to do before. I can’t provide any numbers because I don’t have anything to compare them to. We expect them to effectively collaborate with the great designer we have, and also work across differing cultures and countries.

How did TowerHouseStudio perform from a project management standpoint?

They are quite good. If they don’t meet the goal, it’s probably because the project was more complicated than expected or because we added in unexpected requirements. With regards to whether they’re going to meet a goal or not, they are very open in terms of what kind of difficulties they are having. Communication tends to flow very well, which is why we continue to work with them even though they’ve raised their prices.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their responsiveness and flexibility are impressive. Even though they are external developers, they act like a team player for us completely. They’re able to remain flexible to accommodate our needs.

Their ability to communicate is also commendable. We’re always in contact, and we’ve never had any issues with them. The service level agreement we have with them is usually of very high standards, especially compared to other developers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their increase in prices have been an issue, and although it’s not completely deterring, it has caused us to consider alternative resources.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner of a UX/UI Design firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Develop a SEO tool that allow deeper understanding of search engine results.

SOLUTION

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

I have worked with them in the past and they have always delivered top notch technology solutions.

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

Custom React development based on UX/UI deliverables

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

3-5. Includes CEO, Senior and Junior developers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As I have worked with them over the years I can safely refer them and know they will deliver

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

They provide top-notch, moderately priced, and high-quality work.

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

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Customer experience, I'm a product leader

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TowerHouseStudio?

alpha app dev

What were your goals for this project?

Have a working prototype to show to customers

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Referral

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

-project design -custom dev of prototype

What was the team composition?

Project team had 5 people. They were awesome and it was very clear who did what!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Great team

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project sponsor tracked and delivered success

What did you find most impressive about this company?

quality + speed

Are there any areas for improvement?

no