WOTC Planet

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of WOTC Planet.

OPPORTUNITY

What challenge were you trying to address with FullStack Labs?

I needed someone to build my web application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a web application with a relatively simple database in the backend. The database is hosted with Roku. It’s designed to allow new employees, who are being hired by our clients, to provide some very specific information about eligibility for a federal tax benefit. There’s an iteration that’s finished, but the work is ongoing. It’s live and in production. We have clients, but we’re still making changes.

What is the team composition?

There were 5–6 developers. I didn’t have direct communication with all of them. I was in touch with a project manager.

How did you come to work with FullStack Labs?

I found them through an online search. I was looking for someone that was local enough that I could meet them face-to-face before I started working with them on the technology. They had an office in downtown Sacramento. They were highly rated and the reviews were very positive. It gave me the initial confidence to reach out to them.

How much have you invested with them?

$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2017 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Prior to this, our services were paper-based. Now that we have a web-based, paperless way to accomplish the service, we’ve been able to bring larger companies on as clients. After developing the application, they developed an API. We now have an integration with a partnering company that provides supreme resource-type services that our system functions with. It’s not a resale. We’re not going to sell the software; it’s mission-critical for our own business process.

How did FullStack Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate using Slack, Jira, and GitHub for the development process. I like the tools that they use. I was able to go in and look at code from time to time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very personable. I can’t contrast them with other vendors because it’s not something we do a lot of. Their project manager, who is one of their primary people that’s dealing with code, has degrees in computer science and he’s taught computer science at universities. His technical credentials are outstanding. That gives me confidence in what he’s doing for us because very frequently I don’t understand the technical side of what he does.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would like to be more involved in the project communication. As a domain expert in terms of the business process, sometimes I didn’t know where they were going at any particular moment. Some people probably wouldn’t want that, but for me to feel comfortable, I need to be in the loop all the time.

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