TXI

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Business Systems & Analytics Manager of Omaha Zoological Society

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium's mission is to inspire, educate and engage people to serve as lifelong stewards for the conservation of animals and their habitats

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Update and modernization of existing code base
• New features for day camps and donor relations
• New universal authentication / log in

SOLUTION

How did you find TXI?

Referral

Why did you select TXI over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from TXI were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Functional day camp registration. This needed to utilize our existing program's APIs. Deliverables included user's ability to research and search for camps, create an account, add a child to their account, complete waivers, Universal authentication. This was a new service created to replace a much more basic log in process. It also had to work across several different databases/applications. Modernization of code base, including dependency upgrades

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Decreased staff burden
• new programs offered
• risks removed
• decrease in errors

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

Yes, project management was solid. They were responsive and communicative. Items were reprioritized as needed and the team was very flexible.

What was your primary form of communication with TXI?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The culture is amazing- every person was a delight to work with and obviously felt comfortable. The collaborative and positive nature was fantastic.

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

No- they've been a fantastic partner and will continue to be.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at a non-profit company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Advance early learning opportunities for families with children from before birth through their earliest years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Research and design for a product to support early childhood systems builders in communities

SOLUTION

How did you find TXI?

Referral

Why did you select TXI over others?

• Pricing fits our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned
• Approach

How many teammates from TXI were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Review existing research, conduct multiple rounds of stakeholder and user interviews to inform iterative design of a new product concept to support target users. Develop concepts for user testing and develop product designs in a pre-development phase.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Updated Product Vision / Concept Product Designs Next Steps and Initial Roadmap with Scenarios

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

Very much appreciated the integration of our teams, the real-time feedback, the agile project management and the relationships/rapport we built. It really felt like we were “in it” together

What was your primary form of communication with TXI?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The culture and approach of TXI’ers is truly innovative. When we would say— hmm we’re not sure if that works for us, they were always ready to dig in with us to find an approach that worked. I felt like we really operated as partners rather than as clients or consultants.

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

Our one piece of feedback which we did discuss with TXI was the opportunity where we both could have improved in the scoping of the project. We may have “bitten off too much” and we had to adjust throughout the scope to make things work. It was also difficult having a delivery lead shift right before kickoff.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP Product Operations of Community.co

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We design, launch and manage digital community programs for leading affinity brands and business networks, where our members can plug in, amplify their visibility, expand their influence, grow their business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Redesign Mobile App
• Establish parity with Web

SOLUTION

How did you find TXI?

Referral

Why did you select TXI over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me

What was the size of TXI’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

• Redesign and launch a new mobile app, extending our web-based product’s features.
• Design and Developed for both iOS and Android
• Establish parity with web as needed
• Enable analytics across native iOS & Android applications
• Provide training and education on mobile app development best practices

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Optimize app development process
• Increase Mobile App Downloads
• Increase Mobile App Adoption

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

TXI team was dedicate to understanding our ways of working and found the best path to incorporate into our team. Our TXI delivery lead; Gayle, is an absolute treasure. Well organized, highly communicative, and solution-oriented.

Any time there were timeline risks or concerns about the scope, she was on top of it, and was able to come to the table with options and alternatives to help us achieve expected outcomes on time. The TXI team was strongly focused on ensuring our success.

What was your primary form of communication with TXI?

Virtual Meeting

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

They operate with empathy. Their ability to listen, understand, and be flexible when priorities or scope shifted was paramount to our success. Further, they are solution-focused; any time risk or concern was raised they came to the table with options and recommendations to keep us on track to meet goals and timelines.

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

Integrating an external team with in-house across product management, UX and engineering is tricky; with various ways of working, it takes time for teams to establish alignment and work in unison.

We've wondered if having more upfront time to establish the ways of working may have been helpful as the first month or so felt bumpy, but perhaps that is to be expected until the team finds its rhythm. We had frequent feedback loops, and TXI was always flexible in supporting our team's needs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm an executive at an e-learning platform for architects. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TXI?

We had developed an idea for a new platform and needed assistance to develop it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

TXI created our web application’s UI/UX design and developed it. They designed the app following the branding guidelines previously created by another agency. We gave TXI art direction, and they developed user flows and diagrams. TXI used Figma to present their designs and helped us create our user personas. 

After the UI/UX design was complete, TXI developed the app’s architecture and developed it. Our project had two stages: TXI first developed an alpha version of our app and then launched the updated platform. 

Our app is a professional networking platform for the architecture community, and TXI developed all functionalities. Users can create an account, upload architecture projects to their profile, and post images and descriptions. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with Mark (CEO), TXI’s head of design, and a couple of engineers.

How did you come to work with TXI?

I told my advisory board I was looking for a development partner, and one of the members recommended TXI to me. TXI helped us create a development architecture strategy before we hired them, which made me trust them.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $100,000 with TXI.

What is the status of this engagement?

We engaged with TXI from August 2020–May 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

TXI developed a steady and functional platform that has grown since we launched it. TXI created our app from nothing, and we’re now renowned in our industry. 

Moreover, TXI’s UI/UX was incredible, and that’s why people used our platform. TXI built a great relationship with us. 

How did TXI perform from a project management standpoint?

TXI met the deadlines and stayed on budget. We used Jira and GitHub for project management. We communicated through Slack, email, and video calls. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed with TXI's attitude and expertise. They were fun to work with and positive. TXI also delivered what they promised — they didn’t promise anything they couldn’t do. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything for TXI to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you need a tech stack development that TXI is capable of, I’d totally recommend hiring them. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a digital health company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TXI?

We were developing our first beta program, and we needed someone to create an app around a third-party software system to create a data environment for a clinical study.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

TXI helped us build the web app we needed. Initially, they did some basic market research and asked to do some user and industry interviews. After that, they worked on the design phase, and they then built the software piece using Ruby as one of the main technologies.

Once we launched our clinical study, TXI stayed with us and managed product updates and technical support. This process included interacting with patients and doing backend bug fixes. Basically, they provided us with a full-service design, development, and execution of this product.

This clinical study addressed a bladder disorder. The platform gathered data from embedded validated surveys, for which TXI created a three-day bladder diary. Additionally, this platform became a coaching software for eight weeks, checking in with the patients midway through and at the end to track their progress and report it back to them.

What is the team composition?

We worked with at least eight people from TXI, including UI/UX designers, backend developers, frontend developers, a project lead, and a research team.

How did you come to work with TXI?

I was referred to Mark (CEO) years ago. At the time, we were applying for a federal-funded small business innovation grant. When we met with TXI, we were very impressed with them. We even won the grant, but based on its amount, we couldn’t afford them. Still, Mark recommended someone else to help us build that product then. 

The person that Mark recommended became our interim CTO eventually. Unfortunately, when we received the funding for this new project, their work became very unstable. This project was very important for us because it was for one of our founders, so I went back to Mark. Although TXI was much more expensive, I knew that they would deliver on time and on budget.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2020, and the study ended in March 2022. Our last engagement with TXI was in June 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We measured this project's success based on the trial results. Thanks to this product, we received incredibly positive feedback from users and great customer satisfaction scores. We also had really good exit interviews, and 80% of our patients told us that their disorder had extremely improved. Thus, we also achieved what we wanted to achieve from a patient perspective.

Our patients also really liked the environment built by TXI for this product. Although I can’t remember the system usability scores, I remember they were also very positive.

How did TXI perform from a project management standpoint?

TXI was exceptional at meeting deadlines. We had a set hard date for delivering the product: May 1st, 2022. Still, they developed the product in four months, delivering in March 2022, which was incredible.

As for collaboration tools, we used email, Zoom, and phone to communicate. I also talked with the project manager every other month to keep them up to speed.

Throughout this project, we experienced a number of bugs and crashes. We had a feedback loop going from the study site back to the team member who was running the project. TXI was available 24/7 to address any issues reported. Still, no issue took them longer than 24 hours to solve. Just on one occasion, we had a 48-hour fix.

What did you find most impressive about them?

TXI was very supportive, positive, collaborative, and professional. They also demonstrated a lovely camaraderie and respect for each other, and we even learned from them a few things on how to improve our interactions. Overall, they had a very positive corporate culture, and it was a very joyful experience for us. In addition to that, Mark is an exceptional leader and hires very talented people.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be fantastic if TXI could reduce their price. Other than that, they were perfect.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You get what you put in, so be as clear as you can about your needs and ensure to have someone on your team to interface with TXI.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of technology at a company that builds transportation software. Specifically, we make software for trucking companies. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TXI?

We didn’t have internal experience in terms of native mobile development. As a result, we engaged TXI when we were looking for partners with that experience. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

TXI developed React Native app for us for Android and iOS. The app would extend some of our web-based features. Our team and their resources talked about the order of features that we could put in the end users’ hands. We also talked about how we could get feedback from them and solve issues. 

What is the team composition?

They assigned 5–6 people for this project, including developers, a delivery lead, and a QA specialist. 

How did you come to work with TXI?

I found TXI through a recommendation. I had connections at local consulting firms that do mobile app development work. For competitive reasons, they weren’t able to take on our projects since they had too much overlap with a prior client. Given that, they recommended TXI to us.

I reached out to TXI and spoke with Mark (CEO), giving him a brief overview of what we needed. He and I talked a bit about their experience in mobile app development and the transportation industry. It was nice knowing that they had some experience in our space. 

After that call, we had a series of discovery sessions. I shared an overview of the project with them and some of the features we wanted. We set up an NDA in place, and then they had a bit of back and forth with their lead engineers. From there, they provided us with a quote, which we eventually accepted. After that, we started the engagement. 

How much have you invested with them?

The project was somewhere around $800,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from April–August 2022. The engagement is over, but if we need their assistance, we can reach out to them and pay them hourly. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app was made live on app stores and is now in the hands of actual customers. The product worked well. We took an iterative and agile approach to the project, and our teams did a good job of that. At the end of the project, we had great confidence that it was going to solve the problems we were targeting. 

How did TXI perform from a project management standpoint?

The budget was managed effectively, and the timeline was solid. TXI communicated well — we had to decide between time, cost, and functionality, and they did a nice job quantifying the decisions we had to make throughout the project. Overall, we were happy with the results. 

To communicate, they used Slack, while we used Teams. They were willing to set up Teams accounts to communicate with us on our platform. That was how most of our meetings were facilitated. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

TXI was a great cultural fit for us. We were a laid-back team in a small organization, and they worked nicely in that way. They were agile, communicative, and honest. We had some difficult discussions, but we respectfully came to the right decisions. Overall, they were phenomenal. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was a point in the project where we would’ve liked them to provide a greater sense of urgency to the project. It was a difficult position for us to be in because we were managing our budget and protecting our team while also trying to satisfy our customers. We had a lot of competing priorities. Given that, we would have liked to get a little more urgency from the team and have them focus more on pushing the product to app stores. 

To be fair, this was a minor sticking point. Their communication and quality of work were great, and working with them was truly fun.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be honest about how things are going. TXI does a nice job of listening to feedback and making changes based on them. Be honest about your feelings about the project, and you can make adjustments as you go together. You can make sacrifices together and come to an agreement instead of forcing them to do something with low quality. In our case, we ended up being happy because we made some sacrifices and were open and honest throughout the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of a prominent arts and culture not-for-profit organization. We represent a large arts and literature publishing enterprise.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Table XI?

We have a very large and sprawling website that has been built and iterated into many different versions over the past 12 years. We needed a system to update, modernize, and make the backend experience coherent and efficient.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Table XI worked closely with our group to define our needs and the technological approaches to updating our web infrastructure. They worked on our custom PHP CMS that runs our database, a frontend that distributes the webpages, apps to which we publish content every month, and a large database associated with our publishing permissions that must inform all aspects of our website.

The bulk of their work involved refurbishing and updating many different technologies within our web app.

What is the team composition?

They provided a custom support and development team that spawned across three different companies to reflect the complicated nature of the web technologies that were involved. We've worked with about 17 members including a project manager, a frontend developer, and a PHP programmer.

How did you come to work with Table XI?

I knew Table XI’s project manager from when we were involved with different companies.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in April 2019, and it’s ongoing. The bulk of their work was completed at the end of 2019, but we have new project components involving search and audio distribution.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This project was multi-layered in that we had many components of the website that needed to be updated to make architecture changes. As such, we’ve been able to break apart the core CMS so that different components of the web app could be moved to the cloud while still appearing to the end-user with a seamless frontend. 

This was extremely important for us and the team accomplished this. We’ve also seen increased feed in the return of search results and we’ve continued to see, throughout the development and post-development phases, an increase in web traffic. Additionally, we now have the ability to implement dashboards for media and other metrics.

How did Table XI perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project manager is excellent. The communication and structure of the development process are valuable and well-thought-out.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In working with them, it was impressive to see what parts of the project they would take on. When there were certain aspects of the project that they didn’t feel comfortable taking on, they worked and found other companies that we could work with. I don’t think we could’ve done the work that we did if that hadn’t happened. 

Table XI is very serious about evaluating the work that they’re being asked to do in advance and determining whether or not they’re the right firm to complete the work. Additionally, they are keen on building relationships and are honest in all aspects.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s such a complicated project and it’s still in progress. The only thing I would say is that there could be better clarity around the alignment of components of the project and the hours spent. I would like to see a better upfront understanding on those fronts. 

Nevertheless, I was able to work with my project manager to identify our needs, and Table XI was able to produce that work and documentation.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As a client, you have to know your own needs and goals to be able to communicate them to Table XI. The team is really good at helping you understand what you need and sharing their perspective, but only once you have that understanding as well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m part of our M&A advisory team at a consultancy that covers business and technology consulting. Headquartered in Chicago, we primarily serve the middle market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Table XI?

We had the desire to build a custom application to provide proprietary benchmarking and analytics capabilities.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we engaged with Table XI for the design phase, developing wireframes and a clickable prototype. Once we moved past that phase, they were the sole developers of the application. It’s an internal web app built on AWS, using React for the frontend and Ruby on Rails for the backend. Their team also managed the user interview process.

What is the team composition?

Our team ranged from two to six people, depending on the phase of the project. About 10 or 12 people rotated through the team. We worked with Judith (Senior Project Strategist, Table XI) for most of the project as the product strategist.

How did you come to work with Table XI?

Their founder was a former colleague of one of our firm’s partners. He brokered the introduction, and then we went through an RFP process for the design work. Our team validated Table XI’s development capabilities after the design phase.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $1–$10 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Table XI started in December 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We monitor user adoption and value-derived via both financial and non-financial metrics. We track development progress using standard agile delivery metrics around velocity and capacity.

How did Table XI perform from a project management standpoint?

Table XI seeks to partner with their clients. During engagements, they’re responsive, accommodating, and collaborative. Their team is also flexible.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with the strategic partnership they seek. They look for opportunities to advise and execute while finding ways to fit into their client’s operating models and drive value. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

When it comes to looking at large-scale and complex challenges, the ability to know the tools they’re working with is important. Also, there are opportunities to improve their roadmap and forecasting capabilities. Throughout the engagement, they’ve been up to the task when it comes to challenges and we worked through them together.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the president of a travel information company. We have been around for 63 years, starting as guidebooks and transitioning to include a website. Our team is made up of journalists from all over the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Table XI?

We were looking to increase our website’s profits.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Table XI developed and designed our website. Instead of doing a complete overhaul, they have worked within our set budget to change things in small increments. We’re hoping to eventually do a full overhaul, making the site more photo-rich and increasing our SEO.

The Table XI team provided UI/UX designs to bring our gallery pages up to industry standards. Their team ensures our back-end code is up to snuff. We had some security issues and they took care of those for us. Table XI continues to handle maintenance of the site as well as completing more design work.

What is the team composition?

We had one main project manager who ended up moving on about five or six months ago. Our new main point of contact at Table XI is terrific.

How did you come to work with Table XI?

We had previously worked with a vendor in New York, but since we have so many remote workers we decided to broaden our search. Our SEO vendor is located in Chicago so we asked them for recommendations and they directed us to Table XI.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement with Table XI began in October 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The load time of our site has decreased which is very important in this day and age. The new designs for our gallery pages look incredible. Table XI doesn’t just input a new design, they test it extensively to make sure it will both look good and have the desired effect. We’ve seen an increase in revenue on those pages. They provide designs tailored to our goals.

How did Table XI perform from a project management standpoint?

For the most part, communication has been excellent. They are very specific about what is done, and we recieved weekly reports from them. We often meet with everyone on our team from Table XI.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Table XI understands the importance of helping clients reach their goals. They’re not just a design or development firm, they take a holistic approach to their client’s projects. The use their services in service of others, which sets them apart.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their prices are high, but they’re very careful to not go over our budget which we appreciate.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear about your engagement. We have a warranty that details what counts and new work and what is covered for when things go awry. Before working with Table XI, hammer that agreement out.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of a centralized resource that helps our clinical teams design and execute trials at a global biopharmaceutical company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Table XI?

We needed more accurate projections for our clinical trial timelines. We wanted a more systematic way to create these timelines.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We asked Table XI to help us create a product fit for purpose. Their team developed a roadmap for what we wanted to build, which included identifying the target user group, problem statement, and scope of what the MVP would look like. They’ve also helped put a prototype in place.

Now, Table XI’s in the assessment phase. We’ll further test the prototype with a more numerous user group to make sure we’re on the right track.

What is the team composition?

There have been at least five people working with us. There’s a project manager, software developers, and experts in Agile methodology. We’ve worked with the whole team. I don’t know if there has been any single point of contact.

How did you come to work with Table XI?

Our information technology group recommended Table XI.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $200,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started this process in August 2019 and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had an aggressive timeline. They had to interview over 40 different stakeholders. Their team ran a kickoff meeting and interviewed all stakeholders. They compiled all the information from these interviews, had a couple of debrief sessions based on those learnings, and scheduled a two-day workshop. After, their team created a prototype, the problem statement, and the roadmap. Table XI did all this in less than two months, which was impressive.

In fact, we were so impressed that we’ve decided to engage them again for phase two of the project, which wasn’t part of the scope originally. We'd also like Table XI to bid on the actual development of the product.

How did Table XI perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve communicated by email usually. When critical issues need to be discussed, their team will set up meetings. However, day-to-day issues are resolved via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Table XI’s ability to synthesize information has been impressive. They have taken diverse opinions and drilled them down into core concepts to help understand what would be required for a MVP. As well, their team was able to deliver on a very short timeline.

Are there any areas they could improve?

This has been positive and negative. On the positive side, Table XI leans into an open environment to make sure all ideas have been expressed. But sometimes you need to have a heavier hand, stop the conversation, and redirect to what’s important at the moment.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Anyone working with them will be in good hands. They don’t have to worry about anything. Table XI will do their job and make sure it’s done in a way that suits the needs of the organization they’re working with.