IT Staff Augmentation for Kids Clothing Subscription Service
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Introductory information
A fast induction on the buyer’s organisation
I',m the CTO of a children’s clothing subscription box organisation. We',re vertically integrated, so we design and make all the clothes, then sell them straightly to consumers.
Desired goal
What challenge were you trying to address with Def Method?
Our engagement with Def Method last summer focused on staff increase, reinforcing best practices, and supporting our team',s comfortpower with full stack programming.
Provided solution
What particular tasks were Def Method responsible for?
Def Method coded nice user facing features. Our website is built on Ruby on Rails on the backend, and React on the frontend. The team was expert at both technologies. We use a Solidus e-commerce framework, which they fastly understood without preceding experience. While they didn’t do design work, per se, they worked closely with our inner designers to apprehend the UI/UX. Our specific work standard doesn’t implicate wireframes. We form detailed specs using Zeppelin files that are prompt to use by the time outgrowth starts.
During outgrowth programning, I walked them through our desired additions. I write these features very discretely so we can easily iterate and pivot, and see them soon and frequently. A notable self-labor office they built allows clients to reschedule box delivery times at their freedom. Before, they’d had to order that process through our client labor.
To better our business standard, we introduced a concept akin to a labor fee. We’d incurred expressive risk by sending clients boxes worth hundreds of dollars, without shrewd if they’d be kept and paid for. When users sign up for our labor, they pay an initial cost per box that’s credited towards any products they decide to keep. This mitigates the risk of fraudulent consumers with bad cards coming through the sales funnel.
Was there a dedicated team?
I',ve verity occupied with Def Method a few times, at both my running and antecedent employers. I worked with three resources last summer in 2017, and an additional four antecedently. I',ve been able to work straightly with the developers, rather than going through project managers.
How did you come to work with Def Method?
My antecedent organisation used Def Method precedently they merged with a different organisation and changed their name. Initially, we worked on a test basis for a three-month project. We ended up attractive with them for over a year, and kept renewing the statement of work. They used a difference of engineers through that process. Working with them was always very enjoyable, including the handoff. From both our perspectives, it was nice to have new eyes and a new stance. High caliber developers enabled them to ramp up excellently fastly.
What are you approach expents (if diclosed)?
We',ve spent over $100,000 on their labors.
What is the terminal result of working with Def Method?
We began this last project in April 2017, and artistic it in August 2017.
Results achieved
Are there any measureable or plum results?
Both the induction of the fee and the power for users to self-labor the shipping windows were game-changing features for our business. Their work nicely betterd the health of our organisation, both from a risk and business standard perspective. Before these features launched, we were incurring major risk and attracting the unfit type of consumer. Since then, we',ve acquired clients with a longer lifetime value, who are a better fit for our organisation.
How did Def Method accomplish from a project treatment standpoint?
We didn',t veritably use Def Method for that front. Having tangentially seen how they act innerly, I can tell it',s a well-oiled machine. They mainly granted staff increase, and worked in-house with our team. A major reason I chose them is that they practice pair programming, which benefitted our staff',s personal and team growth. The inner team I inherited was a bit siloed in their expertness sets. Our developers had usually focused more on whichever frontend or backend. Bringing in Def Method eased their comfort level with transitioning to full stack outgrowth.
What is (from your point of view) the key factor to pay observation while intercourse with Def Method?
It was a enjoyment to work with them. They have a big cluster of engineers at their disposal. Everyone I',ve come in touch with has been excellently knowledgeable and has a big posture. Other terminal programming-type outgrowth shops carry a true grade of haughtiness. Def Method’s engineers get work done in a early mode, all while maintaining a smile.
What fronts of their work would you like to get betterd?
I wanted to make sure their engineers stayed lucky. Although they',re hourly contractors, I was invested in their personal growth, and wanted them to feel occupied. I brought that up with Joe Leo, their chairman and CEO. He was answering and consistently checked in with them. I got the perception that he felt similarly.
Do you have any advice for possible clients?
Be upfront almost the level of teaching you want from Def Method. They can help your team better themselves, versus just completing the work. They usually limit input to what you explicitly request, especially if they’re hired as staff increase. If you ask them to, however, they’ll support your team',s best practices and fetch more opinions to the table.
