Urban Dynamics

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the COO of TEDS

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Teds, Inc. is a company that specializes in providing innovative technology solutions and services to help businesses optimize their operations and enhance productivity through our software suite consisting of Talent Acquisition, Learning Management, Competency Management, and Performance Management.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Urban Dynamics to accomplish?

• Create strategy to modernize massive enterprise software product
• Modernize key product components while minimizing risk
• Overhaul software engineering strategy and practices

SOLUTION

How did you find Urban Dynamics?

Referral

Why did you select Urban Dynamics over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Expertise

How many teammates from Urban Dynamics were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

For the past five years, Urban Dynamics has been our primary software consulting and engineering partner, helping us develop a strategy to modernize our extensive enterprise software suite and leading the execution of that plan over several years. They transformed our software development processes, project management practices, and engineering methods, enabling us to deliver new features with enhanced performance and reliability. Additionally, they helped identify skill gaps within our workforce to promote long-term self-sufficiency.

Their expert team worked closely with our staff, from upper management to individual contributors, and through their efforts, we've significantly reduced tech debt in our legacy code, greatly expanded automated testing, and implemented DevOps practices to boost efficiency. They've also helped improve the security, cost-effectiveness, monitoring, and uptime of our AWS cloud infrastructure, enhancing the overall performance of our SaaS offering.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Year 1: Strategy Development & Initial Implementation (12-18 months)
- Conducted a comprehensive assessment of the legacy software suite, identifying pain points, technical debt, and areas for improvement.
- Defined a modernization roadmap, prioritizing key initiatives based on business impact and feasibility.
- Began restructuring software development workflows, introducing agile methodologies and updated project management practices.
-  Initiated DevOps adoption by implementing basic CI/CD pipelines and version control improvements.

Year 2: Early Modernization & Process Overhaul (12-18 months)
- Expanded automated testing to cover critical software components, reducing the risk of regression issues.
- Refactored high-priority sections of the legacy codebase to improve maintainability and performance.
- Strengthened cloud infrastructure security and introduced early cost optimizations for AWS services.
- Provided targeted training to internal teams, addressing initial skill gaps and fostering self-sufficiency.

Year 3: Scaling & DevOps Maturity (12 months)
- Enhanced DevOps practices, including automated deployments and monitoring for improved system reliability.
- Reduced technical debt in additional components of the software suite, ensuring smoother integration of new features.
- Optimized cloud infrastructure for better cost-effectiveness, implementing auto-scaling and resource management strategies.
- Expanded team collaboration between Urban Dynamics engineers and TEDS staff, increasing knowledge transfer.

Year 4: Performance & Security Optimization (12 months)
- Further improvements to automated testing coverage, increasing test reliability and speed.
- Continued performance enhancements, focusing on database optimizations and API response times.
- Implemented advanced security measures and compliance protocols to protect customer data.
- Fine-tuned CI/CD pipelines to reduce software release cycle times significantly.

Year 5: Stabilization & Full Knowledge Transfer (12 months)
- Finalized major modernization efforts, ensuring all core systems met performance and reliability goals.
- Conducted rounds of upskilling and knowledge transfer to internal teams to ensure long-term sustainability.
- Established monitoring and feedback loops to maintain software quality and operational efficiency.

While some initiatives ran in parallel, this structured approach allowed for progressive improvements with measurable results at each stage. The timeline also ensured that TEDS' internal teams were gradually prepared to take full ownership of the modernized system.

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

Urban Dynamics demonstrated exceptional project management throughout our five-year engagement. They utilized agile methodologies, ensuring flexibility while maintaining clear milestones and deliverables. Their structured approach allowed them to break down complex modernization efforts into manageable phases, keeping the project on track.

They consistently delivered items on time, meeting or exceeding expectations for key deadlines. Their proactive communication and transparent progress tracking made it easy to stay informed about project status. When challenges arose, they were quick to adapt, adjusting priorities and allocating resources efficiently to keep work moving forward.

Urban Dynamics was highly responsive to our needs, engaging closely with stakeholders at all levels—from upper management to individual contributors. They took the time to understand our unique challenges and tailored their approach accordingly. Whether addressing urgent requests or refining long-term strategies, they were always solution-oriented and committed to our success.

What was your primary form of communication with Urban Dynamics?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What stood out most about Urban Dynamics was their unparalleled ability to blend deep technical expertise with a truly collaborative and customer-focused approach. Their team didn’t just execute tasks—they became strategic partners, fully invested in our success. Their ability to modernize our enterprise software suite while simultaneously augmenting our internal team allowed key initiatives to move faster and more efficiently.

Beyond their technical acumen, their commitment to excellence was evident in their responsiveness, adaptability, and proactive problem-solving. They anticipated challenges before they arose, provided innovative solutions, and continuously refined their approach to ensure we achieved long-term sustainability. Their combination of cutting-edge engineering, seamless project execution, and genuine dedication to our business goals make them an invaluable partner—one that consistently exceeds expectations at every stage of our engagement.
 
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Are there any areas for improvement or something Urban Dynamics could have done differently?

Our collaboration with Urban Dynamics has been incredibly successful, and nothing significant comes to mind in terms of areas for improvement. Their expertise, responsiveness, and ability to seamlessly integrate with our team have been outstanding. They’ve consistently met our needs, adapted to evolving requirements, and driven initiatives forward with exceptional results. Their commitment to excellence and ongoing partnership has made them an invaluable asset, and we’ve been extremely satisfied with their contributions throughout the project.