xDesign

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Sibcas Ltd manufacture modular buildings for sale and rent to all market sectors. We operate exclusively in the United Kingdom. I am the IT & Digital Manager

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire xDesign?

We required a new mobile application for our delivery team to drive the paperwork required when buildings are delivered, or uplifted, from a customers premises.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to streamline this entire business process and integrate it more neatly with our other LOB applications

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I searched nationwide for app developers, firstly trying via recommendation then using Google and review sites. I strictly wanted companies with a demonstrable corporate experience and also with demonstrable experience of business process change and refinement. Out of the 4 companies I managed to shortlist, after face to face meetings xDesign were the clear winners. Their portfolio was impressive and the staff we spoke to really made us comfortable they were up to the task!

Describe the project in detail.

The project kicked off with a very high level meeting regarding what we want and how we want to go about achieving this. With a very welcome focus on the business benefits we wanted for the outcome of the project. The next stage was a full day workshop where we mapped out every aspect of the task and how this fitted into our existing business processes.

This was extremely valuable as we made a great deal of beneficial changes outwith the actual mobile app from this session. After this xDesign went away and began work on what they felt would be the solution and came back firstly with a product plan detailing what the app would do, how it would do it and the plan for middle ware and database.

Once that was approved it moved to wire frames, then prototype and then full release. Every step of the way the project team were in full communication allowing us to approve every aspect of the app from functionality to layout and design. It was a very collaborative process.

What was the team composition?

xDesign assigned a good sized team for the project. We had a Product owner who would be the go between between our team and xDesign, there was a project manager and 3 developers. I was very happy with the resource assigned by xDesign to the project and also the skill and expertise displayed by them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The project was very successful and all outcomes were met.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project management was first class. There was a third party tool used to manage communication and workflow and this was excellent. We felt involved every step of the way and we knew exactly where the project was at all times. We also felt very relaxed regarding asking questions or responding to feedback requests. This greatly contributed to the success of the project

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They picked up our business process very very quickly and they were very good at pointing out things they thought might be better. Everyone was very knowledgeable and skilled which put us at ease right away. We knew they understood and were capable of solving any issues we had. Most importantly though they were genuinely friendly and approachable.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can't think of any areas of improvement that could have been applied to this project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of group product development for Zonal Retail Data Systems. We provide technology for the hospitality industry, particularly pubs and restaurants. Our solutions cover everything from mobile ordering apps to point-of-sale kitchen management systems; basically, anything needed to run a pub or a bar.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with xDesign?

We were trying to build new versions of our products and wanted to target more of the direct-consumer and small-business markets; rather than our more traditional enterprise business customers.

The main gaps we had were around digital skills and knowledge as well as UI/UX design. These aspects became more important as we tried to move toward a more direct sales model rather than an enterprise one. We sought xDesign’s help because we didn’t have in-house capabilities for this.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

xDesign handled the UI/UX designs of our product updates. They provided web and mobile development expertise to supplement, guide, lead, and mentor our own internal team. In addition, they also gave guidance as we introduced UI/UX into our processes. This included an introduction, how the design process should work with a low fidelity prototype, and getting feedback as well as just generally guiding us into their method of developing software.

There were both web and mobile components to the project. Our target platforms were Android, iOS, and Windows UWP. Because of that, we decided to use Xamarin to do cross-platform development.

What is the team composition?

It depended on the stage of the project, but the highest we had was 12 team members. We also had a project manager.

How did you come to work with xDesign?

When we recognized we needed a resource to bolster our project, we looked for someone local to us in Edinburgh. Our team wanted a partner we could visit and likewise be visited onsite by, every couple of days. So, it was crucial that they were local to us.

We started off searching in the Edinburgh technology market for digital agencies. After some initial phone calls and discussions, we drew up a shortlist of three companies. We evaluated each company closely until we decided on xDesign.

Ultimately, we chose them for a couple of reasons. They had a good reputation and were a good cultural fit for our organization. The xDesign team worked in a similar way in which we work, and they were of the same sort of mindset; all of this made it easy to work with them. Their proposal, cost-benefit rates, and added-value to our project put them at the top of their competitors.

How much have you invested in them?

We invested between £1.2–£1.4 million (approximately $1.5–$1.7 million USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement started in April 2019 and had to come to an end in April 2020 because of the coronavirus situation. If it wasn’t for COVID-19, we’d still be working with them. We siloed 90% of our business, including outsourced partners we were working with.

It’s really because the business has stopped, rather than the project has stopped. As soon as we’re in a position to start up again, we’ll continue the project and our engagement with xDesign.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I can’t provide feedback from an end-user perspective because the project isn’t finished. In terms of success within the organization, we’re certainly very happy with the way xDesign engaged with our business. Despite being a supplier to us, they were very forthcoming with opinions and guidance as well as challenged us where appropriate. In general, they just tried to be a good, constructive partner rather than just doing what they were told to do.

What stands out the most from their work is the incorporation of UI/UX into our design process. We were expecting to see the finished solution and then quickly get through a design perspective. However, xDesign guided us through an iterative process which was very collaborative and involved their design team and our product team.

These two teams worked at a lower level of fidelity and a higher level of detail until we arrived at something that was in the right ballpark and then flushed it out with more detail. This is definitely an area that we have zero experience in. We had some basic ideas about how we wanted to work, and xDesign brought their past experience and recommendations. Their prior success changed our opinion of how we should approach that particular element of the project.

How did xDesign perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager worked on the zonal side and conducted daily standups. They kept us up-to-date on progress, blockers, and impediments that we could help them with that was impacting their timelines and schedules. From that perspective, project management was great.

We received a daily email that was an outline of the daily standup, so we had visibility of what was happening there. They worked in two-week sprints and provided reports about general feedback, progress, recommendations, and anything needing to be done differently.

Every month, we held a face-to-face governance meeting between the senior project stakeholders on both sides to address any issues.

What did you find most impressive about them?

xDesign’s personality, company culture, technical knowledge, and method of operation really make them stand out. I’ve previously worked with a few digital agencies, and they haven’t always been the most technical companies. They tend to be good at design and the shiny bits, but not so good at the actual implementation from a technology perspective.

In comparison, the developers we’ve worked with from xDesign have all been really good. They have a good blend of both design and technology capabilities.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing stands out that they could improve on. I can’t think of anything. It took about 6–8 weeks to get aligned on exactly how we were going to work and track progress. That’s just part and parcel of working with a new partner though. It didn’t go any better or worse than any other partner we’ve worked with.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Approach the engagement with an open mind and be as receptive as possible about your objectives. Be flexible about being guided by xDesign on what you should do and how you should do it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the innovation manager at a large multi national spirits company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire xDesign?

We hired xDesign to design and develop our sales presenter app which is used by our 50 strong sales team across the UK.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to be able to show case our products to our customer in a premium way and allow our team to be comfortable with simplicity of the app. The content is ever changing so a simple CMS system is very important as well.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We chose xDesign after seeing some other similar work they had done. After procuring three quotes xDesign where very well priced and seemed to understand our needs the best.

Describe the project in detail.

From start to finish the xDesign team were able to work with our teams to deliver the project as desired and were able to pivot when we threw a couple of curve balls at them during the project. They delivered the solution on time and on budget.

What was the team composition?

We dealt directly with the project manager and also have full access to the rest of the team involved via their project manager software for specific issues when they arose although the MD was involved where needed and for the initial meetings.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Within a few weeks of the app being launched it had been downloaded by our whole sales team as used across the business. The solution was nominated for a internal award for its ability to solve a massive issue for the business.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication between their team and ours was easy via their project manager tool, outside of this face to face meetings were scheduled when needed with the agency travelled to meet us whenever was needed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Firstly their pricing compared to our other quotes was very impressive for exactly the same work. The work that was delivered was exactly what we needed and from start to finish they were on the same page as us and after the work has been finished any issues we have had have been swiftly corrected.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There was some bottle necking in the project due to missed emails on our part, some nudges when this was happening could have helped the project move forward.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the Developer Advocate at Skyscanner, a travel search and recommendation service. Part of my role was in discovery of new routes to market and using various forms of partnership with large vendors, to test assumptions before committing to major new projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Bemo Ltd?

We hired Bemo to design and build a concept Universal Windows App to showcase Skyscanner destinations on the Xbox, with potential across other Windows surfaces.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to drive user engagement via a new channel and experiment with a 10-foot experience available with television to drive engagement and discovery.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We knew Bemo had the ability to tackle new design and engineering challenges so we approached them to see if they were interested in taking on something that no-one in the market had any experience of. They agreed to upskill their team to understand the challenges of the new platform and were pleased to accept the challenge.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The project involved working with the Skyscanner Design Director to come up with a vision for exploring destinations visually from the comfort of the user’s sofa. This required a re-imagining of the appropriate user interface compared to our traditional approaches to web and mobile. The team were then tasked with integrating public Skyscanner APIs to search for flight prices. During the course of this project this was expanded to include hotels and car prices and the Bemo team also built a proof-of-concept API for destination discovery.

What was the team composition?

The team was composed of a designer, developers and a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Bemo team delivered the Xbox app on time and within budget.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Bemo project managed the work and liaised with Skyscanner stakeholders. We worked well together by collaborating remotely and coming together when necessary. If anything, Skyscanner held the project back by having so many other commitments at the time; Bemo continually found solutions to problems to avoid Skyscanner becoming a blocker.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What impressed me most was that Bemo went above and beyond a basic deliverable and really tried to produce a solution that would deliver real customer value. From a standing start Bemo were willing to attempt a very rapid, but equally high value, build of this project for a public showcase despite minimal information available at the start.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of Voxsio We use Conversational AI to help people manage their mental health

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Bemo Ltd?

Mental wellbeing can affect every aspect of a person’s life. Yet two out of three young people do not talk about their wellbeing issues. A lack of personalised information along with the stigma attached to mental health creates barriers to them looking for support. Voxsio are working with young people, NHS Scotland, and Stirling Council to create Alli-Chat.

Using Artificial Intelligence, Alli-Chat creates conversations about mental wellbeing in an accessible way, helping young people discover verified, relevant information and support. This empowers them to maintain a positive relationship with their mental wellbeing, unlocking their potential and allowing them to flourish. Alli-Chat’s offers information and activities organised around common issues like Exam Stress, Social Anxiety, Sadness and many more. Alli-Chat has a program for each issue, containing multiple sessions.

What were your goals for this project?

One the key things that makes Alli-Chat successful is the engagement of users. We wanted to conduct UX discovery and design work to inform how we built the Alli-Chat service. Our goal was to create a service that changed peoples lives.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I had used Bemo for mobile development projects when I was the Director of Product Development at Scottish Television. I was impressed by the service that they provided me with. Since then they had extended their service offering i include UX/UI design. After initial discussions we started working together, the collaboration was successful so we continued.

Describe the project in detail.

Bemo supported us from initial discovery work, conducting user interviews, and desk research to understand the challenges that we were trying to solve. They then helped us turn that research into an initial design. Once we had validated the initial design through user testing , Bemo helped us to evolve the UX and UI design

What was the team composition?

We worked with the Lead UX designer from Bemo and had project support from the CEO.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We secured additional funding at the mid-point based on early results

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

There were no issues with the workflow. It was just like having a new member in the team

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Bemo is very honest and transparent. They have great skills and are a pleasure to work with

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that I can think of