Atomic Object

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO and President of a third-party administrator of drug testing and education services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Atomic Object?

We were switching from an enterprise system to an iOS app-based system. We have a proprietary database and collections system where we collect data points for athletes when we do drug testing collection. We were the pioneer in developing a paperless chain-of-custody system in the drug testing space and continue to remain the leader in such innovation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They handled the development from beginning to end. They consulted us on what platform to use for a new system, whether it was another custom enterprise system, or moving to a more user-friendly platform such as an iOS app-based system. They then helped in the design, development, and integration into our multiple client databases.

We went through a very long and lengthy discovery and education process around what we do and what our expectations were from the development, and they then began to wireframe a development process. Our IT and operations staff had significant input on design and modification of those wireframes as we developed many iterations of the system.

What is the team dynamic?

I wasn't the project leader initially, but became the project leader midway through. I worked with their high-level developers and 4–5 members of their leadership and management team.

How did you come to work with Atomic Object?

I was involved in the decision-making process of who was selected once a small group of vendors was chosen. Initially, we wanted somebody local as we’re a strong believer in our strong local IT community.  Primarily, we wanted to engage with a vendor that understood our values and challenges.  We didn't want a large shop that was going to outsource everything overseas.

Atomic Object exhibited very similar traits to our company. They were about the same size and had a wealth of experience under them based on past projects. We liked their leadership team and loved their presentation. They didn't take themselves too seriously and they took the time to understand who we were. They are almost a mirror image of our company and that's why we selected them.  Although they were based outside of our city, we made the right choice and couldn't be happier with our selection.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since February 2013. We've kept them engaged in development or re-development and support functions. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Confidentiality and data security are significant priorities in our business. We have data that requires high levels of cybersecurity, physical security, and necessity for replication in the event of a disaster.  They understood that and delivered a product that allowed us to collect, store, secure, and replicate data in the best way possible.

There are also many customized options in our system that they understood.  They were adept at listening to our staff and modifying development as needed. The system they delivered can be easily modified by our IT staff, but they've also supported their deliverable for several years. We couldn't be more pleased with it.

It was a huge home run for us to switch to a platform that was user-friendly and widely understood by a young population. Most of our client demographic are in their 20s to early-30s, and they understand technology, app products and the iOS technology.  The user experience has been tremendous and a huge advantage for us.

How did Atomic Object perform from a project management standpoint?

They were amazing. Initially, we got side-tracked in the development process because a strong project leader from our side was not identified, but once they identified that issue, it was an easy process. 

Once we got re-focused, the project management was very smooth. I can't say enough about the professionalism and the product they delivered on a weekly and monthly basis. The project updates, beta testing, and everything that went on in the development was top-notch. I couldn't recommend them more highly. We communicated through email, phone, and in-person. It was also really important for us that they come down to our office and meet our staff.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their leadership team understands the importance of relationship building with their clients. Their development team is educated and very knowledgeable about developing products in an efficient way that includes their client's feedback. I was really impressed with their shop. We rely on them so much and they've been a tremendous resource for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Early on in the process when we weren’t focused, they could have directed us a little quicker that we needed to get a strong project manager in place. That could have shaved off some time and money in the development process, but ultimately they made us aware of the situation and we got on track.

Once we got on the right path, their development team was conscientious about who we were, what we wanted, and delivered a product that was just spot on. I cannot emphasize enough how happy we were with the development, their team, their follow-up, their support, and the friendships that we've developed with Atomic Object.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Covenant Retirement Communities is a senior-living provider in the non-profit sector. I work in the IT department as a product owner and project manager for the software we’ve developed with Atomic Object. I also do occasional web development and SharePoint administration.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Atomic Object?

We had a long questionnaire for residents to fill out after they moved in, so we knew what services they needed. It was a paper document with around 100 pages, which was difficult to manage. Once the information was collected, we couldn’t really do anything with it, so we wanted to automate the process. The data is also used for generating care plans for our residents, as well as for determining pricing for particular residents.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a basic prototype, so they were involved in fleshing out all the requirements and creating a storyboard for the product, then developing it. Our solution is a standalone web application built using Ruby on Rails.

We specified that it needed to be accessible on mobile devices, and be accessible without an internet connection, which was taken into consideration by them. They used bleeding-edge technologies in order to achieve this. They also designed the whole solution initially, handling CSS [cascading style sheets] and everything else, but our marketing team contracted another group to design a new logo.

The application features forms, reporting, and a scheduling component. We have an extensive process for determining what the pricing should be, and they’ve developed the whole backend configuration which enables this. On the surface, it’s a questionnaire, but there is a lot which we do with those answers after the fact.

What is the team dynamic? 

We always tried to begin projects with in-person meetings, over a period of between 1 ½ and 3 days. We’ve done a fair amount of screen sharing using Slack and other tools, and also communicated by phone and text. I estimate we’ve worked with 6–8 people from their team, over the years.

How did you come to work with Atomic Object?

I found a website dedicated to reviewing Ruby on Rails developers, on which Atomic Object was listed. I work remotely and at the time was living in the same state a couple hours away.

Instead of giving us a canned statement of work which had been clearly copied and pasted from another client proposal, and had parts that were completely irrelevant to our project, they actually sat down and looked at our prototype. They carefully examined all its sections and menu items and made a detailed analysis on how long each section was expected to take. The contrast in their approach was stark from the beginning, so there was no question that they were the ones we wanted to go with.

I believe that the other companies we looked at were charging around $220 per hour, while Atomic Object had a $110 or $120 fee at the time so their value was also great.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their work has been above $1,000,000 at this point.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October 2009. We have a support agreement in place and have continuously developed new features on a yearly basis.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

People have always been impressed with our report demos. We have also used the application on the sales side, in order to give prospective residents an idea of how much living with us would cost. There is a fair amount of turnover in our sales department, and I have talked to a couple of people there recently, who were impressed by the fact that we had an automated way of predicting someone’s payments.

Our profiles take into consideration not only seniors’ physical needs but also their preferences. We do hear feedback from staff about the great connections they’re able to make with residents using the profile as a starting point. The process takes 2 hours, and they can get into all kinds of conversations about their lives, what they’ve done and where they’ve been, and what they like and don’t like. We hear a lot of positive feedback about this.  

How did Atomic Object perform from a project management standpoint?

Whoever was playing the role of project manager was also a part of the team, actually writing code. I appreciated this, since, in working on small projects with other vendors, I was frustrated by having to explain requirements to a project manager who didn’t know the system or the code. There was always a problem with trying to get the information to the developer in a back-and-forth manner.

We got updates every week on how much time and budget had been spent, and how much had been accomplished. They measured the stories to be implemented using points, so I always had a graph displaying how much had been done, and how much of the budget was spent.

We had continuous communication throughout the week over any unexpected issues. If the team was stuck and needed more information, I would be notified right away. We worked closely in a continuous manner. Responding to them was a full-time job for me, given their proactiveness.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I felt like I was working with actual people: nobody gave me slogans and didn’t try to hide anything or put their best foot forward, at least not to cover up their mistakes. They’ve given their best in how they write code, conduct tests, and communicate with us. They’re transparent and just normal, good, kind people who actually live up to the values they put up on their website.

They care, engage deeply, and never do something just because I wanted it done in a certain way. The team cared enough to challenge me and provide alternatives, many of which I went with. This has made working with them the highlight of my year. I feel like I’m not working alone, and that I have a team behind me. They’re a paid consultant but treat the project like it’s their own.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. In the past, when something was amiss, I communicated it to them, and they changed some of their processes based on the feedback. I only wish that they weren’t quite so booked and that we didn’t have to schedule months in advance. But they are, and it’s ultimately a good thing since they do really good work. Scheduling regular development ahead is a price I am more than willing to pay, and they are always very responsive when it comes to support.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the Director of Technology for an arts nonprofit. We hold an event that showcases a high number of artists, with an equally high number of artwork pieces, ranging from portrait photography to large, fire-breathing dragons.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Atomic Object?

We’ve been involved with them for several years. Initially, we needed to create an application in order to reach our constituents. The business problem was that we were doing something no one else had done. We needed an organization which had ideas and could help lead us in making changes based on the data we were receiving.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have an on-site development team, which includes myself and another member responsible for the backend. Atomic Object's team utilizes our APIs, assists with the design, and helps analyze the data we could use for improving the visitor experience. They were responsible for building and maintaining the iOS and Android apps, UI/UX changes, project management, and testing.

We had an idea for the organization and knew that we wanted it to allow people to find the artwork during the event and vote on it. Throughout the years, we’ve made significant improvements to our identity in terms of branding and needs for the app. In 2009, the iPhone was gaining popularity and Android had just entered the market. It was difficult to know what was possible. The first version of our app was a matter of shooting in the dark.

Our app is the primary engagement tool for our audience and serves around 500,000 people. The app is a path-finding tool which allows visitors to see what the art is and where it’s located. Users can also register to vote because we wanted to give a voice to the public that would result in giving out a lot of money, across a couple of rounds.

We’ve really been able to immerse ourselves in the application’s function to create a more efficient, seamless process. We’ve gone from users having to register in person with a driver’s license, to being able to offer 2-factor authentication. We were able to keep the security aspects of protecting the prize from fraud, as well as being able to utilize today’s technology in order to streamline the entire process.

What is the team dynamic?

We worked with an average of 4–5 people from Atomic Object’s team.

How did you come to work with Atomic Object?

We found them through local channels because they were known for quality. The size and scale of our event doesn’t allow room for mistakes, so we needed quality assurance and the benefit of a strong staff. Atomic Object offered exactly what we were looking for, so we chose them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $1 million since we began working with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with Atomic Object in April 2009, and the relationship is ongoing. They’ve recently committed to a 3-year agreement as partners in the ongoing development of our app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We originally started by registering people in person, but when we moved this service to the first version of the app, we saw a 30% increase in participation during that year alone. This was a huge success, so we continued streamlining the app, which dramatically increases utilization every year. As iOS and Android devices become more popular, app use continues to increase over the website.  

We serve a large audience, and everyone has their own opinion. Overall, the app has done well, stakeholders are happy, and the general experience is positive.

How did Atomic Object perform from a project management standpoint?

We were always asking each other how things we progressing due to working in a collaborative environment. While projects were active, we had daily communication with the developers and project managers. I prefer having an informal approach, so the project managers would call, text, or send me a message on Slack to answer questions or ensure they were delivering the correct features. As they notice things during development, they would make recommendations for areas that needed to be improved. Our offices are closely located, so we had numerous in-person meetings as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their focus on delivering expectations and quality is most impressive. I was constantly aware of the project status, including from both a budget and delivery perspective.

As an arts organization, we are involved in the community, and Atomic Object is as well. They’re constantly involved in the tech community, and are working on diversity with internships while breaking down the barriers of involving women in the field. Atomic Object is an ideal partner for us because we share the same diversity and equity objectives.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Atomic Object has definitely encouraged our own team to be better, and hopefully, we’ve done the same for them. Overall, I have nothing I wish to change.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My official title is Software Architect, but I also act as a project manager for Flow-Rite Controls. We operate in a couple of different spaces, but the bulk of our business is in industrial. We make a watering product harnessed for lead acid batteries. For example, for forklifts that water these batteries, we provide a way for them to be able to do so more efficiently, quicker and safer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Atomic Object?

As I mentioned, these batteries need maintenance, watering, and inspections. They also do a process called equalizing, which basically improves the overall performance of the battery and various other task repairs.

Many of our customers today still relied on white boards and clipboards for documentation, maybe some documents or spreadsheets for asset management. The challenge that we wanted to take on was to help these customers with managing their maintenance activities and providing a central location for reports. So we created a mobile app and web portal for customers to manage their batteries.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Atomic object took over the development after it had been through an initial prototype phase on the asset management side. They developed a cross platform mobile application that allows our users to track their daily maintenance activities while providing scheduling and notes to manage their inventory. They developed the application programming interface for the API and a web portal and managed the server implementation.  They also did design work, so all the styling across all three platforms, iOS, Android and the web and all of our icons.

We live on the app stores and anybody can go to set up an account, mostly because we're in an industry that has a lot of different players. We have OEM's, bigger companies or organizations, and proverbial mom and pop shops that have maybe two or three users. We try to go across multiple sizes of companies, big, medium and small.

The project expanded in scope into an IoT device. With the IoT device, we will be providing monitoring for the batteries and it will include various sensors and Bluetooth communication. They didn't do the hardware development, we had another company do that. They did the integration with the mobile application and web portal piece of it. They worked closely with us and our contractor to do that. Additionally, they helped with developing out the feature set that we were looking for too with the IoT device, going through use cases and user scenarios.

What is the team dynamic?

Currently, we're down to just two developers but we've been as high as four or five. In addition, we will flex in a designer when we need design work.

How did you come to work with Atomic Object?

I personally have worked with Atomic Object for several projects over the last 10 years of my career. I actually came on board with Flow-Rite Controls two years ago when this project was already about a year into its development. So someone else had actually found them, but I provided consulting for Flow-Rite in the initial stages of the project and recommended Atomic Object.

I worked with several of their developers, again over many projects and years, and they are known in the area for providing really good quality software development and design. They have a great reputation and attract some of the top talent and developers in the area. They are kind of a no brainer if you are looking to develop new products, especially innovative products in industries that maybe are used to innovative products, that includes software development and hardware development. They’re really good to go to for that.

How much have you invested with them?

By the time we are all done, around $3,000,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began around December 2014 and the relationship is still ongoing. We will probably complete the bulk of development in November 2017 and then we'll be on maintenance support with Atomic Object after that. Also, as future other projects come up, we will consider them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I think the number one thing, especially when you're looking at the enterprise world, is just ease of use. I think Atomic Object almost obsesses about that and the user experience. Everybody is surprised about how well designed the application is and how easy it is to use and pick up. It's almost as easy as downloading and using a consumer application, which a lot of enterprise users are just not used to. Instead, they are used to technical documentation but you don't have to be a database administrator to use our app or web portal.

How did Atomic Object perform from a project management standpoint?

They're excellent at project management. They follow an agile practice but at the same time, they keep things straight with proper documentation.

I have daily communication with our project team over Slack, we occasionally use Basecamp. They are very good with kick-off meetings, planning, and brainstorming. We have weekly in-person planning meetings and also have design review meetings and feature launch meetings to go over the work that we've done. When we brainstorm our work, we prioritize it and they lead a lot of that. They then show off the work that we completed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're good at taking complex technical understanding and building it into comprehensible business language, which I think a lot of tech firms have difficulty doing. They're friendly, they're fast and they're reliable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing and I understand why they do it, is that they switch our team members and that can be hard for the project, especially long term projects. This is because we get all of that project knowledge built up over months or even a year and sometimes that can make it harder for us bringing new developers up to speed. However, on the flip side, it makes a lot of sense for the developers because it keeps them interested and from being burned out. An additional benefit is that we now have more people at Atomic Object that have developed on our applications or are aware of different parts of the application. So there's pluses and minuses. They favor more the pluses, it can just sometimes cause a little bit of disruption in the project. That’s something that is probably dealt with across the board for many companies and development teams.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the VP Enterprise Operations of a healthcare company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Health Care Supply Chain Optimization Technology

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Atomic Object to accomplish?

• Technical Due Diligence
• Technology Platform Migration
• Research, Design, Planing Engagement

SOLUTION

How did you find Atomic Object?

Referral

Why did you select Atomic Object over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Atomic Object were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Tech Due Dilligence on current tech stack, transition of technology platform, RDP work for future state

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Complete project plan, weekly status meetings, and work completed on time.

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

Items were delivered on time and with full explanation. The team was very responsive during meetings, via email and over Slack

What was your primary form of communication with Atomic Object?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The attention to detail and the feeling of true partnership, rather than a vendor/client relationship.

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

The final deliverable on the RDP felt rushed, however it did give us strategy and ideas for future state. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of Flockx

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Flockx provides the collaboration layer for ai agent to agent communication

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Atomic Object to accomplish?

• Architecture
• Software engineering
• Strategy

SOLUTION

How did you find Atomic Object?

Referral

Why did you select Atomic Object over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Company values aligned
• Drew

How many teammates from Atomic Object were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Work in tandem with our internal engineering team to iterate and deliver new features

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Engineering velocity

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

Ability to iterate quickly and change direction as needed when experimentation dictated alternate direction

What was your primary form of communication with Atomic Object?

Virtual Meeting

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

The level of care and craftsmanship was matched only by the level of clear communication.  Secondly, new ideas, suggestions, and continuous improvement contributions have delivered increasingly rapid delivery

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

Not at this time

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I'm an executive at VLTED

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

VLTED is a social sports prediction application. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Atomic Object to accomplish?

• Create Feature 1
• Create Feature 2
• Create Feature 3

SOLUTION

How did you find Atomic Object?

Online Search

Why did you select Atomic Object over others?

• Great culture fit
• talented

How many teammates from Atomic Object were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Atomic assisted us with accomplishing three big features, specifically on the front end, but also assisting with some design work and backend support as needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Updated screens of new features for our app

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

They did deliver items on time

What was your primary form of communication with Atomic Object?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I was impressed with their flexibility and genuine desire to help and fit into company culture, talented, good communication

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

Atomic was very helpful and successful in our partnership

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of ViewPoint Simulations

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Classroom software for educators to create active learning experiences. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Atomic Object to accomplish?

• Refining our existing codebase for enhanced UX/UI
• Refining our existing codebase for SaaS platform efficiency
• Bug Fixes and Troubleshooting

SOLUTION

How did you find Atomic Object?

Referral

Why did you select Atomic Object over others?

• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Atomic Object were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Scope of work included bug resolution, enhancing platform efficiency, scaling for additional users, etc. Ongoing development support. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Yes. 

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

Highly efficient, very responsive - typical response times less than 2-3 hours. 

What was your primary form of communication with Atomic Object?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Loved working with AO. Different developers knowledgeable about different areas, all worked collaboratively. We feel like we got access to a very high level of expertise and also a very efficient process. It was a really enjoyable and helpful experience. Highly recommend. 

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

No.