Iflexion

BACKGROUND

Could you describe your company?

I’m the founder of a startup in the initial stages of building an online business network for the restaurant industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address when you first approached Iflexion?

My group and I were on the idea side of a great Internet business, but we didn’t have anyone in our company with Web design and development expertise. We are a collection of executive-level operators in the hotel industry that identified a number of challenges surrounding the sector of business for chefs. We put together this incredible concept for a networking platform, but we needed to make sure that what we wanted to do was technically possible. Without any kind of a functional prototype, there was no way we could really test our idea or pitch our platform to potential users and investors. 

What we wanted to do was vastly different from a standard website. This is a custom platform with a lot of very specific functionalities. Our idea is a Web portal combined with a social network, so we are fusing two very distinct Web design concepts into a single platform. We knew that what we wanted to do was very ambitious and quite involved, and we didn’t have the slightest idea of where to begin. That’s when we decided to find a technology partner.

SOLUTION

Could you describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail?

They are responsible for our Web design and development, using .NET and MySQL. They also provide database work, training, and user testing. We haven’t got around to those phases quite yet, but they are definitely capable of handling this entire deployment. Given the scope of this project, before we proceed with the actual nuts and bolts of the construction, we’re going to have our own UX/UI [user experience/user interface] designer act as the primary liaison between the Iflexion development team and us. We know that once things start rolling, it’s going to be very easy to go down rabbit holes and waste man-hours.

How did you choose Iflexion as your partner?

We shopped around for a number of web development companies. When we reached out to Iflexion among others, but the attention and customer service that we received from them was absolutely amazing. They engaged us on a very high level with conference calls and creative calls for almost 60 days before we even wrote them a check. The discovery and scoping that we went through with them was so far beyond what any other company had offered us, and it made us feel comfortable enough to enter into a formal contract with them.

They literally held our hands the entire way. They addressed all our questions and posed thoughtful ones back. They put a whole team of people on the phone and on email and they walked us through extracting our vision, and being able to turn it into a technical solution. It was really an unbelievable experience.

Could you provide a general cost estimate for this particular engagement?

By the time we finish the project, it will probably land somewhere in the range of $300,000 to $500,000.

When is this project scheduled for completion?

We’re in the process of shopping around for external funding at this point. We want this project to have the most real-world application that it can, so we are anticipating a launch of the product in phases, beginning in the third quarter of this year. We’ll be working hand-in-hand with Iflexion as we make that plan a reality.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback that would demonstrate the quality of their performance?

We don’t have a functional prototype yet. They have provided some design element screenshots of a number of important modules, which all came out very nice. It really helps us to give a face to our product when we’re dealing with investment partners. They were almost prepared to move faster than I was. To be honest, we started to go into levels of detail that were far beyond what I thought I paid for. I was very happy with what we got from them in terms of planning and strategy. In addition to the discovery and scoping, the functional specifications that we put together were great. They were able to give me design assets, including logos and other things, which really helped to put this brand together.

With an idea of this scope, it’s really all about the presentation, and being able to illustrate what you’re planning to do because you’ve got to generate interest. In that respect, I think they worked double the hours that I paid for, just because they were intrigued with the project and really wanted to make sure that it showcased well. It was really nice to see a company believe in something enough to put extra man-hours behind it, to make sure that we were well situated to collect funding and continue the project forward.

When working with Iflexion, is there anything that you would consider special about their strategic approach or development methodology that distinguishes them from other vendors?

The team I was working with is based in Belarus, and we had a nine-hour time difference, so I anticipated more issues than what we actually experienced. The way they set up their communication and their documents, with commentary that goes back and forth, was outstanding. We weren’t very experienced with organizing a project like this, but even during the confusing times, we felt like we were in good hands.

We had numerous phone calls, and the nurturing feeling behind their customer service was really the most incredible thing about them. For me, the major difference that set them apart was their patience and their ability to deal with a team that was exclusively content-based. They walked us through the whole process from the other side of the world, and it was very impressive. They were meticulous and thorough. We communicated regularly by Skype, and they were flexible with my availability. 

What advice, if any, would you give to future clients?

I would tell their future clients to be prepared because these guys are exceptional. They’re going to put you on the spot to give them answers that you need to be prepared to give them. You have to have a solid vision going into it.

BACKGROUND

Could you briefly describe your organization?

We're a furniture retailer in Seattle, Washington. At the time of our project, we were exclusively a sleeper company. We sold sleeper sofas and their related products. Our thing was offering the best selection of sleeper sofas, that single product line, in the country. Now, it's changed a little bit. We still have that sleeper sofa company, but we also do more general types of furniture.

What is your position?

I'm one of the managing partners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenges you were attempting to address when you began the relationship with Iflexion?

We compete by offering customization to customers. We offer hundreds of different fabrics and leathers and you can choose your mattress, your foot color or wood type, all of those various configurations. In general, a product page has an "Add to Cart" function, but we couldn't really incorporate a traditional "Add to Cart" function to our site because our whole thing was that our products could be made available in thousands of distinct configurations. We had to bridge that gap by using something like a design center, something akin to car websites. Product customization is becoming much more common now. Besides the customization functionality, we also simply wanted a more professional looking site. We wanted a presence that could somewhat accurately reflect the quality of our product lines.

SOLUTION

Could you describe the scope of work that was delivered during the course of the relationship with Iflexion?

They did quite a lot for us. We had them build the site from the ground up. They had a solution that was kind of out of the box. It was called CoreCommerce, which we used as our foundation before we incorporated the customization center. They not only developed the functionality and deployed it, but they also created all of the business logic behind the scenes. The theming and design of the site was more of a collaborative process.

How did you select Iflexion as your solution partner for this endeavor?

It was a while ago, so I don't remember the exact process. I believe we originally discovered them through some online research. We spent months searching for qualified vendors before finally narrowing it down to only two candidates. At that point, we invited both to demonstrate some of their relevant capabilities and any previous work that might be related. We were much more impressed by the presentation delivered by Iflexion. I can't remember exactly what they showed us during their demo, but I do recall being most confident in their ability to strategize with us. We wanted more than a development partner; we wanted a thought partner. Iflexion came across as a group of consummate professionals.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in monetary terms?

On a year-to-year basis, we probably spend around $100,000. It could be more depending on the project type.

 How long has this relationship remained ongoing?

We've been collaborating for at least four years, perhaps closer to five.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback you've received that would demonstrate the effectiveness of the work they've delivered?

Within two years of site launch, our nationwide sales have increased almost 500 percent. I want to be totally clear, to be fair to the people using this information. It wasn't entirely them, but their work with the website was definitely a huge contributing factor. I do want to give them credit where credit is due, but I don't want to give them all the credit and be misleading, either. Before we worked with Iflexion, our nationwide program was in its infancy. We were doing a lot of different things to get that off the ground. The website was a huge piece of that puzzle, and Iflexion delivered a great product.

When working with Iflexion, is there anything you'd consider unique about their approach or development methodology that distinguishes them from other vendors?

It's hard to say, because I haven't worked nearly as in-depth with any other provider in this field. I had dabbled here and dabbled there, but nothing nearly as extensive as this. As a result, it's hard for me to assess and compare Iflexion to another vendor. What I can say, however, is that my particular project manager was exceptional at her job. I can't begin to describe how much difference a great project manager can have on the fluidity of the project. We had a great experience with their team, and I'd definitely cite their approach to project management as a key differentiator.

In retrospect, are there any areas you think they could improve upon as a service provider?

I would only recommend that they spend a little more time considering the estimations they give us. There have been times when we've been told "x" but, in fact, received "y." It could be cost after the fact or timing on certain deliverables. I would say that the cost and the timing are really less of the issue. It's more about managing their clients' expectations in a more realistic fashion. If you tell someone something and don't follow through, it can end up reflecting more poorly than the alternative: telling somebody something they might not necessarily like or approve of, but still making them aware of the situation as it really is. It sounds nitpicky because it really hasn't had any negative impact on our site, and it hasn't kept us from awarding them more work.

BACKGROUND

Could you briefly describe your organization?

I work for a company that provides exam preparation for health care professionals. We would like to expand it someday to most professionals.

What is your position?

I’m the owner and founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

CHALLENGE/OPPORTUNITY

Could you describe the business challenges you were attempting to address when you first approached Iflexion?

We were looking for a vendor to build our website from the ground up. We tried several other less expensive alternatives, and it didn’t work out so well. We received what we paid for, but in the bad way. We needed to salvage what had already been built and move it to a much more polished product. When we first began working with Iflexion, we could tell from very early on that they were going to perform on a very different level than our previous vendors.

SOLUTION

Could you describe the scope of the work assigned to them in greater detail?

They handled the complete back-end development, all of the actual custom programming. The design aspects came from our own internal team of designers. We’d then bring them our conceptual designs, templates and wireframes, and they’d provide UI/UX [user interface/user experience] feedback, and then we’d move to deployment. It was a very back-and-forth, recursive process. The results were well worth it.

How did you select Iflexion as your solution partner for this endeavor?

We conducted some online research. I basically searched for some development companies. I was impressed with their site and some of the previous work they’d done for similar companies. They were one of probably half a dozen vendors to receive our statement of work. The proposal they submitted was also very convincing, and definitely outshined the majority of the others in terms of their level of detail and the clarity of their approach.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in monetary terms?

It’s a continuous, ongoing project. At this point, we’ve probably invested somewhere around $100,000 on their services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback you’ve received that would demonstrate the effectiveness of their work?

We didn’t really have that kind of tracking in place. I’ve been the one responsible for evaluating their performance anyway, and I’ve been very pleased with their work. If something needs to be fixed, it’s typically done within 24 hours, if not sooner. Their response time is fantastic. Anecdotally, the work they’ve delivered to me that I then deliver to my customers has been very high quality. End users have in general provided very positive feedback regarding the functionality and usability of their applications and platforms.

When working with Iflexion, is there anything you’d consider unique about their approach or development methodology that distinguishes them from other vendors?

I cannot really speak to other vendors because I have minimal experience working with different vendors in the IT [information technology] space. I’ve been working with Itransition for upwards of five years now. They’ve been our exclusive technology partner for every IT project we’ve undertaken. Overall, I think I’ve been most impressed with their talent pool. It’s been made clear numerous times that they have some very capable developers, project management, and executive leadership.

In retrospect, are there areas you think they could improve on as a service provider?

I think it would be great if they could spend some more time with us brainstorming ideas. There have been times that I’ve approached them with only a semi-polished idea, something that needs to be thought through a little more. They’ve been great at building the things we ask of them, based on our conceptual designs, but it’d also be great if they got more involved with the ideation process. That’s really my only recommendation, which might be somewhat nitpicky.