TechNeed

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the executive VP of three subsidiaries; Meadows Office Interiors, Meadows Service Group, and Meadows Technology Group. We provide integrations for existing platforms and create proprietary platforms as well.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TechNeed?

We had a couple of different tasks that we were trying to undertake and tackle. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have a customer portal as a web platform where our clients can browse all the furniture that they’ve purchased from us, look at the warranty documentation, and see the finishes they selected. They can also request our service or tell us if they need to order more of a specific item.

The customer portal was built on our ERP platform, NetSuite. It was cumbersome, ugly, and super limited. We wanted to migrate it off of the NetSuite platform and add some functionality so that our customers would love it even more. That was one part of our engagement. 

We really did a lot of brainstorming with the TechNeed team to figure out the best way to tackle it and create the roadmap to launch it. We also wanted to add some other features that would be big selling points for our clients, making their lives easier and adding stickiness to our brand. They really helped us look at that in a really holistic way. 

We ended up with a more beautiful platform, and the look and feel of the UI are lightyears ahead of where we were. We also baked in some efficiencies for our team, loading content and automating a lot of previously manual steps. Not only was it cooler for our clients who use the platform, but it also saved us a lot of time in the backend when we load the information to make sure that it’s accurate. TechNeed also created some import features and other functionality that lets the system parse the data by itself. 

After everyone saw what the platform could do, we had a lot more ideas of where it could go. We are continuing to brainstorm about the next steps, and it is an ongoing progression.

We also have a project management app that we created internally and launched to market as a SaaS product. TechNeed has helped us take that to the next level where I feel it is really marketable. When we’ve worked with other programmers in the past, the app always lacked a few features or didn’t quite capture everything we wanted. With TechNeed, we’ve started talking about the portal and the app like it’s an entire ecosystem that could work together. I definitely think that we can enhance these platforms with further interaction with each other. We’re still working on that. 

We’ve gone to market with our project management app, and TechNeed started to help us work on that last year. We’ve added some features for our current subscribers that have been on our roadmap for a very long time. We have a longer roadmap of features that we continue to work on and develop, but they really helped us really get the app to a place and people are signing up so it is really exciting.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three people who we had weekly calls with and were really managing the project day-to-day. A lot of other people worked behind the scenes, but these three were our main points of contact. 

How did you come to work with TechNeed?

I had known members of their organization through other initiatives we have done in the past. When they created TechNeed, I reached out to them with some questions, and we went from there. I always looked to those members as a sounding board for ideas we had. It was nice when they had a company that I could then actually engage in a service agreement so that we could do some of our projects with them.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve invested $250,000–$500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in May 2019, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve rolled the portal out to a significantly larger number of clients since we made the enhancements. Previously, we’d only set up a portal for a client very rarely if there was a specific requirement that they needed. We’ve probably increased our use of the portal by 75% since we have switched over, and we continue to expand it. 

We are now thinking about selling this service and private label for other companies to let them utilize it as well. It could be a revenue-generating platform instead of just a tool for our clients. That’s an exciting transformation that wasn’t an option previously.

How did TechNeed perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly calls unless there is something more urgent where we need to schedule something in between. Slack lets us stay in constant communication with the project team and see what is on deck and where we are at. We also have a Trello board, which is something we’ve never used with other vendors.

From a collaboration perspective, having the ability to see each task, add cards to the board, and prioritize has been super helpful in keeping everyone on task. In the past, we were always the bottleneck. Having those tools has really helped us in collaborating with TechNeed. They’re really proactive in reaching out and making sure that we’re all on the same page. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I definitely feel like the level of talent is better than what I have experienced in the past. Their people are very knowledgeable, engaged in our projects, and quick to deploy things. I do feel like the level of transparency and the hours that it takes have been better than previous people I have worked with. 

Lastly, their out-of-the-box approach in brainstorming ways to improve our product has resulted in a great partnership with TechNeed. Other people I have worked with haven’t been so interested in our success and the value we’re getting for our investment. At TechNeed, that’s a big focus, which has been really nice and refreshing. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I always think that things can be faster, as a consumer and as a stakeholder reporting to executive management. However, we have a realistic timeframe, so I don’t necessarily think it is a bad thing, but maybe the only thing that can be improved.

TechNeed is also helpful in telling me what they can do within my timeframe and budget. They make sure that we are prioritizing the most important things and using their hours towards tasks that will benefit us the most.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Schedule regular calls. Make sure that whoever is on the project team has the time and bandwidth to really collaborate with them and be responsive. Have someone who will be accountable and a champion for the project will help keep the cadence. At times, we’ve stalled because TechNeed was waiting on feedback from us.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a non-profit advocating for a healthy and positive environment for the children in our community to participate in recreational activities. I am the co-president of the foundation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TechNeed?

Our organization has a new board and changed our focus from fundraising/field building to advocating for a healthier environment within youth recreation activities. The foundations website was outdated, not visually appealing, nor user friendly or mobile compatible. We needed to create an entirely new site with new capabilities to interact with today's parents so we can share our message.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to create a new website that was immediately functional for our current activities while also having the ability to adjust it's functionality as we expand our services to the community. We needed a site that was visually appealing, easy to use for visitors and mobile friendly. As a non-profit, we had a limited budget. None of our board members are IT specialists so we also needed to create a website that we could easily manage information updating without the need to hire someone.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We heard of TechNeed via contacts in our local community. When we initially reached out them, they were very responsive and incredibly patient as we explained our organization, background, etc. We talked through our evolving ideas of what we wanted to do with a new website. Before we agreed to hire them, they provided detailed insight into what they thought might work/might not work from our ideas. We appreciated their honesty in regards to not just agreeing to do things because we thought it was a good idea. They likely could have made more money by simply agreeing to do everything we wanted. However, they helped walk us through what made sense for the short term and how to design the site so that it could evolve based on our long term goals.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They designed a completely new site for us. In addition, because of our board's lack of experience in website construction & design, they assisted us with quite a bit of background work we needed to complete. The walked us through how to purchase the new site name, cancel our current vendor while getting needed info from them, plus guiding us on various behind the scenes information we needed to get from prior board members who were involved in the outdated site.

What was the team composition?

Besides working with the project engineer, we had several conversations with the founders of the company. They worked with us like we were part of their team and they were part of our board.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Due to the transition of our board and an upcoming Foundation sponsored event in our community, we were on a very tight timeline. We needed to roll out quickly for the event that we needed to publicize through the site in order to maximize interest and attendance. We received great feedback from our attendees about the new site. As noted earlier, TechNeed guided us through all of the other web logistics, including having the domain transferred and handling DNS setup. All of this was work that we had no idea how to tackle and would have never been able to accomplish it on our own in the timeline we needed.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They arranged a kickoff call and routine followup meetings, all around our schedule. They were flexible with scheduling and responsive before, during, and after meetings. They used good collaborative tools that allowed us to keep all of our thoughts in one place, making sure we were all on the same page.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They delivered a great solution on time and on budget. They were consistently personable and responsive. They made us feel like they were part of our organization rather than just a business to business relationship.

Are there any areas for improvement?

It's hard to find areas for improvement. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Local solo practice law firm handling a variety of matters in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TechNeed?

Redesign and overhaul of professional website.

What were your goals for this project?

Better visuals and an enhanced user experience. Simplifying and consolidating information. Drawing better visual lines to make a more attractive space for potential clients. Establishing a better platform and call to action.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Networking and local connection.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Total revamp and establishment of new website platform and hosting as well as all content.

What was the team composition?

Worked with Craig and Brendan and web developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Impact is heavy. The website wasn't working as designed (unfortunately by me). Increase in search-ability on Google and other engines was a plus not originally thought of. Increase in ability for potential clients to contact me about matters pending is a real plus also.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Scheduled meetings and lots of input from me was very helpful. Great communication and hit all the time line goals.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed by our personal interaction with the owners and their attention to the details of the project. Great time management and a successful build-out.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Would recommend to others for this and other services offered.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of WEST Enterprises LLC, which is a subsidiary of Wiss & Company. We're a hybrid accounting and business development firm serving early-stage companies.   

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TechNeed?

We hired TechNeed to help us develop a series of financial dashboards and investor management reporting for our 75 early-stage clients. Due to their consistent success on that front, we also brought them on to develop a custom reporting module.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

To start, TechNeed was responsible for creating a financial dashboard that allowed entrepreneurs to track their finances via customized charts and alerts messages. They completed that project using Microsoft-based software while interfacing with Quickbooks Online, Xero, and Visible.

During their work on that project, our company was also building a collaborative investor reporting module that could generate reports on a monthly basis. The final product would allow users to contribute their own monthly goals to stay on track.

We ran into difficulties when the company we hired for the project couldn't execute the design. So, we tasked TechNeed to rescue our project. They got it done, picking up the design where the other firm left off. Both projects are complete, and we are now rolling them out to our clients.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 2­–4 members of their team.

How did you come to work with TechNeed?

We liked their approach and thought it would be a good fit for our company. Brendan (Founder, TechNeed), is a great discovery project manager and has a solid understanding of the tech end of the business. We also liked how Craig (Co-founder, TechNeed) handled business development.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent approximately $75,000­–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in the fourth quarter of 2018, and everything wrapped up in July 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s still a little early to measure the impact, but we recently rolled out the project to four of our clients and expect 50 clients to be using it in the next month. TechNeed’s work should make it dramatically easier to manage the business, avoid mistakes, and appeal to investors.

The team also did a great job with the rescue mission project. They picked up a heavily-designed project and reworked it into a functional final product.

How did TechNeed perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very strong communicators. Prior to their involvement, we had some difficulty communicating with them through our part-time CTO. In response, their team implemented Trello. This gave us that direct line of communication and feedback between both our technical team and the customer-facing account managers. That was a big help.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re practical business people. They encouraged practical solutions to technical problems, rather than putting our business second. We’ve had issues with overdesign in the past, so their approach was refreshing. They had to get creative to successfully manage this project, and they did a great job with that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At one point, there seemed like there were too many managers and too few worker bees. Part of this issue can be attributed to the project rescue mission they undertook.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of KidGooRoo. We have a large selection of after-school activity providers that parents can browse, research, and register for via a single web-based interface.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TechNeed?

We needed to develop an online registration system for after-school activities.

What were your goals for this project?

We set out to enable online registration for various after-school activity providers across a spectrum of categories, from sports to arts to academics.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

TechNeed came highly recommended by our accounting firm. Their other references provided attractive reviews as well.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

TechNeed took over development as soon as we completed the design work. They’ve handled everything from project management to backend development and frontend development. The firm has since become our outsourced development partner for the entire system.

What was the team composition?

We’re working with a project manager, a business liaison, a tech lead, and various front- and backend developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our primary success metric was the monetization of our platform. In the first month post-launch, we’ve already matched our revenue from 2018. TechNeed continues to add features and functionality, which will only grow that number.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Brendan (Founder, TechNeed) is an amazing project manager. He keeps the team focused on features that matter and problem-solves like a master. He also meets budgetary and timing expectations, which is critical given our stage of development. Two extensively experienced members of our advisory team have given him glowing reviews as well. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their experience allows them to solve problems before we even know they exist. The few bugs that are found are resolved quickly, and core functionalities are always well-tested before deployment. Perhaps most importantly, TechNeed always fixes one eye on future growth, meaning we’re well positioned regarding platform stability and flexibility.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I’m a startup founder, so I wish they were more affordable. But I also wish everything was more affordable.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the company, professional website used for showcasing my personal story, background and work history related to sport and motivational speaking engagements.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire TechNeed?

Needed to outsource entire website creative design from storyboard to implementation.

What were your goals for this project?

To give my website a new design and update to a fully responsive and easy to manage platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Referred through my network.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They designed, configured and launched my new website - they walked through design best practices and provided examples demonstrating the meaningful impact of site upgrades. Numerous communications back and forth on a regular basis which was appreciated and ultimately a transition, project hand off that included a drive of all source materials and explanation/walk through of how I should easily be able to maintain myself going forward.

What was the team composition?

Primary communication was with one of the founders and the web developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The sites reception has been extremely positive. It has allowed my positioning in the marketplace a best in class online presence.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Good, constant communications, flexible and organized, that moved to completion within our agreed upon deadlines [even when the majority of the time I was holding things up]!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They delivered what I needed. I'm not a subject matter expert, I wanted to outsource to somebody that was fully capable, and they delivered a product that exceeded my expectations without me having to get too involved and in the weeds.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I would highly recommend.