Xfive

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and president of WidgetWorld, a design and development company. We are based in New Hampshire, and have been in business since 2003. Our team works with a wide variety of clients, helping them achieve their business goals by transforming ideas into solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Xfive?

We were hired to design and develop a new version of a web-based insurance application for a client. The project had already been started by another firm but our client was not satisfied with their efforts.  We brought in Xfive as our remote development team to take the existing work that had already been done and to build a brand new insurance app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Xfive’s primary task was the development of both the front and back end sides of our client’s insurance product. It was built using Angular and .Net running on Azure. 

Initially, Xfive was put into an uncomfortable position because they were given an existing API to work from for the back end. They had to go in, learn the code, and work with what they already had to developed.   However, the team did a fantastic job of taking that API into consideration and building a platform that met the needs of my client.

We did most of the design work on our end, so we provided Xfive with the the screens and user stories so they could learn the application and build it to our specifications. They are continuing to provide updates and maintenance on an ongoing basis.

What is the team composition?

Pawel (Senior Project Manager) is our main point of contact. Xfive’s team size fluctuates as needed, but we usually work with Pawel, 1–2 frontend developers, 1–2 backend developers, and a QA person.

How did you come to work with Xfive?

I’ve been working with Xfive for more than a decade on projects both large and small.  I originally found them while looking to outsource some HTML work. They did a great job at a very good price, so I started using them for other projects. Our engagement grew into larger projects, and each time I brought them in, they did a fantastic job, so I hired them again for this project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $500,000–$1 million on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working on this project in June 2019, and we successfully launched it in August 2021, but our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Both our client and their insurance agents thought that this was a fantastic launch and a great product — we can’t ask much more than that.

How did Xfive perform from a project management standpoint?

Most of the time, our communication has been phenomenal and, definitely, much better than any other remote team that I’ve ever worked with. They always put together a team that does an excellent job of communicating and Pawel is a big reason why it's so successful.  As for tools, we generally use three main ones for our communication needs: Jira, Basecamp, and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In the end, what matters the most are the results. Xfive has consistently, both in this and in other projects, exceeded our expectations. Their results have always been fantastic.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I brought Xfive into this large and critical project due to the success we’ve had on other projects. I wouldn’t have done that if I didn’t trust their ability to achieve the project’s goals.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Hire them. They’ve consistently done a great job on all of my projects.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Dana van Kammen responsible for Marketing at Yanmar Europe BV. We are a Japanese company located near Amsterdam, The Netherlands producing high quality engines and machines. Our sister company already realised a new website with X-five and shared a positive experience. We could reuse certain functions and lift on plug ins already made.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

At the beginning we had multiple websites per business and per country. Our old website had a custom CMS and was outdated. We aimed for WordPress and a smart database that will eliminate double actions for common content & functions of all our websites.

SOLUTION

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

Xfive designed and developed a WordPress website from scratch. After creating the actual designs with a UXer, they executed full stack development. In the next phase a smart database will be created to be able to maintain it fast and in no-repeating way. Additional websites will be made and translated.

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

Xfive built out an entire WordPress website from start to finish, beginning with commenting on given high quality designs. We have delivered the designs and interaction descriptions but also asked them to contribute to the total plan. Their team also added functionalities to the site and alternative solutions to show the content in an interactive way.

They manage any web development or technical support we need. We’ve provided the assets they need and have outlined the details we needed on each page. They’ve implemented the redesign of our homepage and product pages, added new functionalities to our website, and created landing pages for specific campaigns. They have been helpful and very cooperative working even out of hours and weekends.

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

A web developer was working close with our UX specialist and our team of two. Small group that intensively and highly effectively developed and tested new website in a short time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website has been live for only few weeks so it is not easy to measure its performance. We are going to run campaigns in coming week to test its performance. One thing is very clear already, the actual maintenance of the site is very easy adding a great deal of autonomy to our team accompanied by a great support of X-five makes on-line performance possible.

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

X-five is very flexible in terms of a project management tool so we happy to use our tool being Wrike. They have been on top of the weekly runs with effective communication and a clear overview of open tasks.

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

We appreciate their responsiveness and quick turnaround time, friendly and professional communication and they never take no for answer.

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

nothing comes to my mind

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the program director for Launchpads. We’re an online rental platform for people who are in extended foster care. I do everything from helping with the app development and testing to working with young people, people who own homes, and the city of San Francisco.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Xfive?

We hired them to build our web application, which connects young people to people who have space that they’re willing to rent.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We came to Xfive with the idea for our rental platform and all the designs were done, and they put us through a pretty extensive process to settle on exactly what the web app would do. We had a dream list and then cut it down based on our budget. They, they built out the entire functionality of the app including account sign-up, profile creation, messaging, and approval and denial of specific users. The work on the platform is ongoing.

What is the team composition?

I work pretty closely with a project manager and two developers.

How did you come to work with Xfive?

When we were developing the app, we contracted a designer, and she’d worked with Xfive previously to a good result. We took bids from four companies and chose Xfive because their rate was affordable. Also, compared to other people, they had more experience, as well as experience working with non-technical clients. We also did reference calls with two companies, and Xfive’s references were excellent. That was a big selling point for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since July 2020. Right now, we’re mostly fixing bugs, so our contact with Xfive is very limited. If we do a big round of edits in the future to integrate user feedback, then we’ll reach out to them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

People are signing up for the app, but I don’t have too many specifics as we launched recently.

We’re working with a city agency fairly closely on the project, and all of the social workers and folks in that organization are excited about the product. They’re hoping we can expand the functionality of the app to include all the different types of housing that they offer. It’s going to make their jobs easier.

How did Xfive perform from a project management standpoint?

First, we communicate over email. They are always very fast to reply; we can expect a reply the next day. Second, we have phone calls every other week, and those are always on time. Xfive always has a plan of what we will talk about.

We use a number of project management solutions, including Trello. Xfive is good about putting tasks there and responding to concerns that we bring up.

It’s hard to scope out a project as big as ours. Everything in the original scope of work has been on budget, but there are things like password protection or integrating user feedback that move the cost up when they arise. Overall, they are good about estimating the number of hours tasks would take and then staying within that allotment, which is helpful to us.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

Xfive is good about coming up with alternatives for technology when we encounter problems. We bring them a problem and our suggested solution, and they come up with a solution that will be more affordable for us. They let us go with either option, but they always provide alternatives.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The truth is that, with any project that’s as big and time consuming as this one has been, there are going to be miscommunications. No one is going to do the work perfectly; our engagement has been as good as you can expect.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work with them to scope your project and ensure you’re including everything you want. Be open to asking them for solutions to your problem because they may come up with something different than you suggested.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of communications for Yes To, Inc, a natural skincare company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Xfive?

We’ve gone through a rebrand We brought them on to redo our website, manage development, and implement third-party tags that are associated with our paid media programs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They manage any web development or technical support we need. We’ve provided the assets they need and have outlined the details we needed on each page.

They’ve implemented the redesign of our homepage and product pages, added shippable functionality to our website, and created landing pages for specific campaigns. They helped me streamline some of our paid media efforts by enabling pixels to track the performance of our ad campaigns.  

The website is WordPress with a WooCommerce plugin, which they plan to leverage when they build out our e-commerce capabilities. They’ve also recommended that we integrate various plugins, such as a cookie opt-in plugin and payment gateways.

What is the team composition?

We have an account manager. There are two other people associated with the project, but we’ve worked exclusively with one developer. He has managed all of our projects.

How did you come to work with Xfive?

We worked with them through an external agency in the past, so we decided to bring our partnership in-house. They were affordable and were already familiar with our business.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve probably spent $10,000 per year with them, and we plan to spend about $50,000 this year (approximately $100,000 in total).  

What is the status of this engagement?

I’ve worked with them for two years, but I think our partnership with them goes back to February 2016. Right now, we work with them on a project-by-project basis.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re always able to execute our vision and bring what we need to life. They’ve done a good job implementing the tracking and shopping functions that we need.

How did Xfive perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager is great. We use Basecamp to manage all of our projects. Their turnaround times are great — they’ve even completed development work ahead of schedule. I always know what they’re working on.

If there are issues or they don’t have the bandwidth we need, they send me an email with an accurate timeline. Whenever we have new development needs, they respond within 24 hours with a timeline and estimate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve worked with a lot of developers over the year, but I’ve been most impressed with Xfive’s attention to detail. They’re phenomenal — I plan to keep working with them because they’re able to bring things to life quickly and accurately.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Because we have one developer and aren’t on a month-to-month payment plan, we’ve had to push projects.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Transparency is really important. Make sure you provide all the details they will need for the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital project manager at a branding and design agency. We build impact brands using language and design. We also do some in-house development work.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Xfive?

As a design agency, we have a lot of clients. Most of them will have web needs at some point, which is why we outsource some of that work to Xfive.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Xfive is building a number of WordPress pages along with interactive map features for one of our mortgage lending clients. The client has several integration needs, in addition to folding in another of their site properties into a WordPress multi-site build. Xfive is working off a preexisting site build that wasn’t very successful. They help fill in some gaps from the previous development team and clear away some technical debt.

The site will be used as a marketing tool to get people to learn about their company and eventually purchase a mortgage from them. The client also has a large number of loan officers at a partner organization who needed their own independent marketing pages.

Their profile pages are pretty robust and use integrations with Vimeo, YouTube, and social media platforms. All of these pages are mobile responsive since the loan officers are out on the road a lot.

What is the team composition?

Ewa (Senior Project Manager) was our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Xfive?

Our team found them via Google. We were looking for development teams that had experience working with design agencies. We interviewed 5–10 development teams. We chose Xfive because of their WordPress expertise. We also valued their professionalism, communication, and responsiveness.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in Q3 2020, and our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Xfive has been very successful in hitting all of our deadlines. They also come in at or under budget, which is usually difficult to accomplish in substantial development projects. The Xfive team delivers strong estimates that they know they can hit so that all parties have a transparent understanding of the project scope. The product is well received by our team and our client so far.  

How did Xfive perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication is very timely. We work primarily through emails for project estimation and larger scope discussions. We also have a shared Slack channel for any off-the-cuff communications.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to scope and estimate a project, deliver good work on that scope, and communicate throughout the project are all great.

We had a client once that wasn’t responsive at all; Xfive was still very responsive and communicative. They understood that I was in a difficult spot as the middleman between a disorganized client and Xfive. They helped me wrangle in that client very well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to have a good understanding of how developers work and what they need upfront. Good developers have certain requirements to complete applications; if you can present your plan in a tool like Figma,  it’ll cut down on the back-and-forth Xfive needs to do.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Cannatrek is a medicinal cannabis producer and distributor. I’m the marketing manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Xfive?

The client needed a fairly state-of-the-art platform built for them. I was the intermediary and scoped out the project with feature requirements. I came up with the concept, but we needed a competent development team to get us where we wanted to go.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The deliverable was a custom online platform that allows doctors to create applications on behalf of their patients, which are then lodged with government systems for the purpose of obtaining medicinal cannabis. It’s a very intricate process with a lot of moving parts. Xfive built out several modules, including an e-commerce store, account management, and more.

They helped us transition the scope from a business-focused scope to an IT-centered scope. They translated our needs into actual deliverables and did all the project management, keeping in tight communication with us.

Additionally, they structured the wireframes and did all the UI/UX design, along with full-stack coding, database implementation, security, and integration. The platform was initially intended only for doctors, but it became apparent that it would be useful to create multiple user profiles, also allowing pharmacists and patients to log in to take advantage of some of our features. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 8–10 people from Xfive. Our main point of contact initially was Bartek (Head of Business Development). Paweł (Project Manager) coordinated the team that worked with us, the deliverables, and the timelines.

How did you come to work with Xfive?

We put a call out to business partners and contacts, asking for recommendations. We went through scoping, discussions, and quotations with three previous teams, but most of them just didn’t understand what we needed. Groups that did grasp our need tripled their quotes in order to ensure that they’d have the budget to deliver against our goals.

The difference with Xfive is that they understood what was needed pretty much immediately. We didn’t have to repeat things, and they put their own ideas on the table. Also, their pricing was very affordable.

Xfive had experience with HIPAA projects and understood the Patient Privacy Act, which requires that patient-related data remain secure. If we wanted to apply for medical device status for the portal, we’d have all the background and paperwork to support it through our partnership with them.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their work was around $60,000 AUD (approximately $48,000 USD). The initial scope was $50,000 AUD (approximately $40,000 USD), but we added some requirements.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our first meeting with Xfive was in May 2020, and the project pretty much concluded at this point. The platform is on a separate subdomain of our site. We haven’t launched it yet because there are external approvals and integrations required.

The system is built; it’s just a matter of hooking it to some API points, which is being done by a separate dev team. The platform is set to go live by March 2021. We plan to work with Xfive again.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I can’t provide metrics by which to measure their success but Xfive had no shortfalls. Other development companies we've worked with approach critical issues during the process or aren't able to deliver against everything they promised. Xfive wasn't like that and didn’t lack in anything.

They accomplished exactly what they promised, without issues in communication, scope creep, issues with UI/UX, or anything else. There’s always some roadblock, issue, or complication somewhere, but that wasn’t the case with Xfive. From the very first meeting until the hand-off, they hit every nail on the head.

How did Xfive perform from a project management standpoint?

If there was perceived potential for missing a deadline, they’d tell us in advance. It usually wasn’t because of them, but because they had to work with a secondary team, which facilitated API integration on our end.

If our team couldn’t deliver what Xfive needed in order to progress, they’d flag the items to be delivered on the next sprint. It was all very transparent and executed perfectly. Xfive doesn’t blow deadlines, they don’t overpromise, and they don’t underdeliver.

Even though their lead developer had COVID and was very sick for about two weeks, they continued to deliver. We had a Slack channel for ongoing communication. They gave us access to a project management tool, and we used Figma to collaborate on the UI/UX design.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Xfive is probably one of the best teams I’ve worked with, period. Throughout the project, it became clear that they weren’t just good at selling themselves; they were good at delivering as well.

It’s the absolute, end-to-end competency they brought to the project that makes them stand out the most. Their communication was also noteworthy. Working with offshore teams can sometimes patchy with communication, but not with Xfive. Xfive could’ve charged a lot more for the services, especially given the quality they delivered. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were no weaknesses I could critique. Xfive is going to be my first consideration if I take on more development projects. This project was extended because of internal hold-ups, but Xfive got everything delivered with amazing code quality.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Tell Xfive what they need and make yourself available to answer questions.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The company I work for offers a SaaS Talent Acquisition Platform for Enterprise level customers. During my interaction with the Xfive team, I was a Senior Implementation Consultant who transitioned into an Enterprise Solutions Architect role.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We leveraged Xfive to build out all our custom forms for our client. At the time, we did not offer custom electronic forms and while we offer this today, the functionality Xfive offers is far more robust and met the needs of the client far better. The goal was to be able to trigger out custom electronic forms for completion to a candidate once they had applied to a job through our platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select Xfive and what were the deciding factors?

I personally did not select Xfive as I did not put together the Statement of Work. I simply executed the Statement of Work in partnership with Xfive.

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

Six electronic forms: 5 for Australia and one for New Zealand. Forms to be auto-triggered based on candidate status. Candidate status to be updated while processing. Candidate status to be updated once complete. Candidate properties to be updated while processing. Candidate properties to be updated once complete. Internal and external email communications to be sent, using a client provided SMTP. Data in the email to be auto-populated based on candidate and job properties. Email communications sent to be recorded in our platform. Forms to be triggered and processed based on complex matrixes. Auto-fail functionality based on complex matrixes. Retriggering of all forms if needed. Administrator portal to manage forms, communications, and other properties. Field logic, field validation, data mapping within the forms, and forms within forms. Creation of all form esthetics. Aside from our core platform, to manage the project the team and I used email, g-docs, and basecamp. I'm not sure internally what tools Xfive used for the development.

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

A project manager, and at a minimum 2 developers. One developer was primary, the other was a secondary. Our project manager and primary developer remained constant throughout the whole process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Pilot go-live happened in July 2020. Full go-live finally happened in December 2020. Since full go-live, the team has processed: - Over 2000 jobs - Over 166,000 candidate applications - Dispositioned more than 93,000 applications The team has sent and processed: - Over 166,000 parental consent forms - Over 12,000 personal details forms The client has seen a reduction of their time to hire of 6 days, going from 30 days down to 24 days. The automation provided by Xfive's forms and automated processing is a direct contributor to this. The client has also fully digitalized and automated all their custom forms. Some forms were still being completed manually, in person. They are all now completed electronically thus streamlining the process.

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

Very strong project management. They seemed to use a combination of agile and waterfall methodologies. Basecamp was our primary tool for collaboration, followed by g-docs. The team was flexible and willing to use the tools necessary on my end to support the project (I'm the g-docs user) which I appreciated. Additionally, the team helped keep me - and the project - on track since I was under an extremely oppressive workload. I knew if something was truly urgent or critical, as the team knows how to prioritize their actions for me. And they were extremely transparent about concerns, outlining the repercussions should a deliverable be missed.

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

Small but mighty. The team was so incredibly patient, with my crazy schedule and at times (let's be honest this was often) lack of response altogether. The client we worked on together was also extremely demanding and did not know their own requirements. The team adapted to every single curveball I threw at them, with grace and a positive attitude. They solutioned with me on how to achieve the best outcomes and truly partnered with me to get this project across the line.

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

Not really - I don't really have any negative feedback. Trust me I'd put it in here if I did. The only thing that was difficult was timezone. As the client was in Australia/New Zealand, I was in Australia/New Zealand and then the West Coast, US... and the team is in Poland. But they were flexible with meeting times and always kept me informed if there were going to be holidays or days where they needed to be rigid with hours.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re an online blinds company. We have a variable pricing option for people to select different fabrics, loaders, fixtures, and fittings for blinds. There are quite a lot of different fittings with blinds, and we’ve created a platform on which Australian residents can choose their blinds from their living rooms. They can watch our 3D animated videos, measure their window frames, and install the blinds themselves, thus saving a lot of money. I’m the owner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Xfive?

My background is in building, but with COVID, we came to a stage where I couldn’t do my work. I didn’t have the greatest computer skills anymore, as it had been about 20 years since I’d used a computer full-time. I found Xfive, and they offered to help me.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had an initial meeting, during which I gave them a design brief on what we were expecting. I drew up how I wanted the site to look, and Xfive made mockups in Figma. 

We selected a Shopify store so that we could get the project up and running fairly quickly. However, we didn’t realize the complexities that come with blinds when we first started the project. There are a lot of options, and there aren’t a lot of people in the market that actually provide them; a few big companies offer a limited range of colors for certain fittings. Our aim is to make the best blinds for a house, so we offer a wide range of fittings, and it’s all automated on our website.

We walked through every step prior to building the actual website. I looked through Shopify themes and chose one that suited our business and looked nice. I worked with their UI/UX designer from there. He designed our logo based on our color preference. He showed us what he thought would stand out. Their designer mapped out where things went, functionalities, colors, photo placements, dropdowns, and so on. We started writing the content after that stage. There’s quite a lot of content that covers material types, how to measure and order things, and so on.
    
Xfive started development from there. We needed a Shopify plug-in for the variable pricing system, and I found one that suited the business. Xfive implemented it and wrote a lot of code to make the store fast and efficient. The development was actually the easy part, because we’d built everything during the design stages. It was a matter of finding what worked best on the website, and making a couple of changes.

What is the team composition?

A handful of people were involved. I spoke to Milosz (Head of Xfive), Dave Rosen (Founder), a designer, a developer, and a project manager.

How did you come to work with Xfive?

They were reputable in the industry, and they’d dealt with large companies in the past. Xfive had a hands-on approach, and that was what I was looking for. I needed someone with the high-level experience required to build such a complex site and configurator; it required a lot of custom coding.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost was $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Blinds Downunder started working with Xfive around December 2020, and the site is ready for launch at the start of February 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site is really user-friendly and guides customers all the way to the cart. I couldn’t be happier. I don’t think that there’s another product on the market that offers a comparable blinds configurator. It offers a huge amount of choice.

I’m impressed by the fact that Xfive has been able to build something so complex, with so many variables. Blinds isn’t their industry, but they were able to understand what I was saying. There were a lot of things that they needed to learn, and they jumped onboard. They could probably sell blinds with us now.

How did Xfive perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated every day through Figma and Basecamp. Tasks were assigned on Basecamp, including for the content I had to write. We had meetings through Google Meet and Zoom.

Their developer always gave me constructive feedback and advice on what he thought was best, and we worked together to get the best results.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Communication is a strong suit for them, and they were able to meet the timeline despite the complexities I kept throwing at them. Xfive met and surpassed all of my needs, and I can’t wait for the site to go live.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing at all.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I’d just tell them to reach out to Xfive. I had no experience in web work prior to reaching out to them, and they assisted me in learning the actual system so that I can actually update Shopify myself. At the end of the day, the whole process of reaching out is the start of a journey. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed these last 10 weeks, and we’re now in the process of launching the site and getting sales happening.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of lifeinsurancecanada.com.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Xfive?

Two different companies developed our website. We also hired one full-time engineer and developer. However, our website never worked.  We needed to make sure the website was functional and connected with all of our automation platforms.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Xfive essentially built out an entire WordPress website from start to finish, beginning with the wireframes. We gave them our full design wheel but also asked them to make changes.

Their team also added functionalities to the site, enabling users to quote insurance and sign documents. Their team did a lot of API work. Xfive integrated the website with DocuSign, Infusionsoft, and G Suite.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Bartek (Head of Business Development) who set up the project. We then worked with Pawel (Senior Project Manager) who was the project manager. We then worked with Daniel (UX/UI Designer) who was the designer and Rafal (WordPress Developer) who was the developer. Another person tested the website.

How did you come to work with Xfive?

We found Xfive on Clutch. Unlike another group that wouldn’t leave us alone, Xfive presented in such a way that there wasn’t pressure. Their team negotiated on the project’s price, which we needed during the middle of COVID-19. They also demonstrated interest in our brand and wanted to create a case study following the project.

They also used Basecamp, which is project-based. I also liked that they had a team and made themselves available.  We loved the design of their website and their previous work.

Their team was also specific about what they could do. For example, we asked if they could help us with digital marketing. Their team said that they couldn’t and recommended that we find an agency through Clutch to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $35,000–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Xfive started working on the site in May, and the website went live in October 2020. We plan to retain them on a maintenance plan.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website’s one of the first front- and backend life insurance platforms in Canada. We had someone complete an online application for life insurance, click sign using DocuSign, and process the application. Before the new website, the application was a five-step process. Xfive cut out all of those steps. In terms of manpower, they saved us a ton of time. They designed the website so it’s easy for us to make changes too.

Their team’s incredible. I’ve worked with a lot of companies over the years, and I can’t say enough about Xfive. We recently talked to another company that spent over $1 million putting their website together. Our website’s honestly more functional.

How did Xfive perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re always up to date. During the project, we always had a summary of actions taken every day. If needed, we hopped on a conference call within a day.

They’re responsive, even with a different time zone. Their team’s knowledge and ability to execute and understand us are incredible. They’re a phenomenal company.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team delivered what we needed. Their price came right near what they quoted, which nobody ever can do in that industry. Their team also beautifully managed the project. Unlike my past experiences, I never had to ask Xfive for a status update.

Their design and thoroughness were also impressive. After the website launched, we both found errors. Their team spent two full days fixing them. Neither my business partner nor I have had a professional relationship that worked as well as ours with Xfive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m thrilled.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a game plan for the project because it’s important to be deliberate with your decisions. Don’t make so many changes that you start to get away from the project. Also, let them lead the project and answer their questions in a timely manner.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP at Jones-Dilworth, a marketing communications firm. We help emerging science and tech companies go to market. One of our focuses is marketing websites.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Xfive?

We hired them for frontend development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Xfive has done about 15 different websites for us. Our preferred tech stack is the JAMstack. They’ve been working with us on Gatsby sites and ones that use their proprietary framework, Chisel.

We’ve added CMSs as well as other form functionalities. The team has also assisted us with Squarespace sites and WordPress blogs. Our team handles the design, so we give them Figma design files. They then give us feedback on how to tweak designs.

Additionally, Xfive has given us DevOps hours too. For example, when we’ve needed domain mapping advice or general website strategy, the team has stepped in.  

What is the team composition?

We work regularly with their project manager, and we’ve probably worked with 6–7 various team members.

How did you come to work with Xfive?

One of our clients had used them to build their website. We were working with a freelancer, but our design work was growing. So, I began looking for resources and, considering that Xfive had been recommended by a client, I looked at their websites.

I was impressed with their WordPress work. I talked to them and they blew me away in our first conversation. We then did a test project together and it went really well.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $100,000 to date. Our projects are usually $5,000–$10,000 each.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our first project with them began in about July 2018, and our engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re trying to build websites that perform well, meaning that they have clean code and are fast. We also want them to have no limits in terms of artistry, which means breaking the grid when it comes to design. 

Xfive achieves both of these things. We’ve never put a design in front of them that they couldn’t figure out how to code, and we’ve never done a website with them that hasn’t been A-plus on speed.

How did Xfive perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve never missed a deadline, and their project management is one of the most impressive I’ve seen. They have one of the most efficient processes I’ve ever seen. We know exactly what’s happening, and they’ve been willing to put in overtime. 

Our clients are constantly moving timelines, and the team is very honest with us if they won’t be able to meet our needs. When they say they’re going to do something, they do it. I also feel comfortable with everyone they’ve put on the team. We mostly use Basecamp, but we also use Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

One thing we love about working with Xfive is that they don’t just do what we give them; they think really hard about our goals. They get our intentions and are able to tell me if there is a better way to achieve the best for my clients. The team is truly a partner. They’re also very reliable. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I honestly have no suggestions.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The more you can tell them upfront, the smoother your process will be. My advice is to treat them as a partner, tell them what you want to achieve, and give them as much context as you have about the work. By doing this, you’ll get more out of the engagement with Xfive.