Sidebench

Please describe your company and your position there.

I serve as an integral part of Microsoft TSI which uses Tech for Social Impact. We’ve engaged Sidebench on a number of occasions with the Animal Shelter project being the one referenced here.

For what projects/services did your company hire Sidebench, and what were your goals?

Our goal was to leverage Sidebench’s expertise with custom system integrations. Our goal was to help making the remote shelters easier to communicate internally and with volunteers.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Sidebench stood out as a certified diverse supplier with the capabilities and proficiency to build what’s most necessary.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Sidebench leveraged Kaizala and Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations to help optimize inventory management and receive data populated by Kaizala

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We were in contact with the c-suite leadership team, the development team, and the business development team.

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Due to confidentiality the most I can say is that Sidebench was able to deliver exactly what was expected and needed to move forward.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Their communication and project management style in our project was one of the main reasons why we chose Sidebench. Very timely responses and even displayed some over communication skills that made the engagement very easy to maintain

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

The way that Sidebench was able to manage communication and solve the problems that we hired them for with such a lean and scrappy team was the impressive and unique trait.

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

The team was actually very proficient and was very capable in completing what was necessary on time and within budget

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Covis Inc., a company empowering health decisions using powerful AI and big data.

We have developed an algorithm that calculates the individual risk from COVID-19 using public data, machine learning, and knowledge from medical literature. Covis Inc. is a DESY spin-off and a two-time MIT hackathon winner. I am also a Physicist at DESY, Hamburg, and Senior Scientist at the Humboldt University in Berlin.

For what projects/services did your company hire Sidebench, and what were your goals?

We wanted to create proprietary algorithms used to assess the risk of COVID-19 infections and display that data to CoVis mobile app users, and we worked with Sidebench to build and launch both an Android and iOS app to be launched in Germany and the USA.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

After an extensive search for a technology partner, we chose Sidebench for their ability to add innovative value, their expertise in healthcare, and their communication commitments.

We were very impressed by their previous projects, in particular the NOCD app. Their communications were quick and efficient and they were willing to work on a very innovative project on a very tight timeline to leave a social impact.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We completed a discovery engagement that gave way to a robust development plan, ultimately working to release mobile apps for iOS and Android. Being an app backed by scientific knowledge and innovative scientific methods, the Sidebench team worked closely with the Scientists on the CoVis team.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

So far, our team has worked with a User Experience Designer, Design Manager, Technical Architect, Developers, Product Manager, and Quality Assurance Engineers.

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The CoVis app is the end-product of a solution developed by the CoVis team and scientific research conducted at DESY, Hamburg. The work done by Sidebench brought this solution to life in the form of an app for both iOS and Android.

The quality of work is impressive and the app has proved to be very effective in the testing phase. As an example, the app requires a quite complex algorithm for location tracking which has been implemented flawlessly and is a key part of the proprietary algorithm that we use to assess the individual risk from COVID-19.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Through weekly stakeholder status calls and touchpoints with Product Managers, the engineering team, and Design Leads, we have been able to get our concerns addressed in a timely manner. Both the Project Manager and Technical Architect have been available for discussions at any time and spent a lot of time with the CoVis team trying to understand the concept and the science behind the app. Communication has been very open and quick.

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

Their ability to remain agile and provide solutions as conditions change has been enjoyable to witness and be a part of. When a problem arises the team goes above and beyond to provide solutions and preventative measures in place to mitigate the chance for problems to continue to arise.

Being a very innovative solution that was built during an ongoing pandemic to address an unforeseen problem a lot of flexibility was necessary for the project to be successful. Sidebench was extremely flexible with schedules and implementation timelines, being able to easily incorporate changes that were made necessary due to changing regulations surrounding COVID-19.

In addition, with their experience in developing mobile solutions, they have been instrumental in foreseeing possible hurdles early in the project roadmap so that these can be addressed in due time.

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

The CoVis team is very satisfied with Sidebench. They have the right expertise and the right work culture that helped us build the CoVis app.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My organization is all about health, wellness, and preventative medicine. Our goal is to empower people to make better and more informed choices so that they can live healthier and more conscious lives.

What challenge were you trying to address with Sidebench?

We had a contract with a different organization that we’d been working with for quite some time, but they just couldn’t get the project done.

We were looking for someone who could pick up the pieces, put them all together, and create the dream that we all envisioned.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sidebench has been instrumental in taking a web app that wasn’t very well programmed or organized and putting it together. It’s a Laravel web app with HTML5 and Vue.js.

The product should go live at the end of March 2021. We have a backlog of additional features, so we’re committed to using Sidebench for the long haul.

What is the team composition?

We have a whole team assigned to this project. We’ve worked with a project manager, a design consultant, and Henry (Manager, Strategy & Business Development). 

How did you come to work with Sidebench?

It took a lot of work. We interviewed at least 15 companies and looked at each candidate’s website, reputation, and previous projects. We also considered what types of apps they’d done and what areas their skills were in.

Once we reached out and talked to Sidebench, we were very impressed. After our third meeting with them, we signed the contract. We looked at a lot of really good groups and different options, but Sidebench really rose to the top.

What is the status of this engagement?

We reached out to them in November 2020, and the project is still evolving. We have about 6–7 weeks before we complete this phase.

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

We are looking for ease of flow of data capturing and UX. We work closely with Sidebench and, through a range of different ideas, they have made it very seamless.

We haven’t launched the product to the public yet, so we don’t have any metrics beside our own satisfaction with what we’ve seen in comparison to previous development teams that we’ve hired. 

How did Sidebench perform from a project management standpoint?

We meet with them either once or twice a week through Zoom. They have excellent communication skills, and they deliver on time. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve very collaborative. We bring certain ideas to the table, and then they tweak them a bit to make the ideas work even better. They continue to do that until we’re 100% satisfied. Working with Sidebench has been the best experience we’ve had with any developer thus far, and we’ve worked with several.

I am so eternally grateful to Sidebench for taking an idea that my team had and creating something that we’re really excited about. They are very creative and thoughtful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They have far exceeded my expectations, so I couldn’t ask them to do any better — they already do an outstanding job.

Any advice for potential customers?

Listen to their ideas, and be open.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the product manager of GIBLIB. We stream online medical education content, including surgical videos and lectures.

What challenge were you trying to address with Sidebench?

We wanted to revamp and refresh our current web application layer. No one internally was a UX/UI resource or graphic designer, we decided to hire a third-party to create the next version of the company site.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We requested their help with the design; we're handling the implementation. The application isn’t running yet. They provided their expertise as a UX/UI firm.

When we approached Sidebench, we already knew all the new features we wanted to add, so we solicited their input on how those things ought to be portrayed. There were numerous meetings initially about how to lay things out. It was very collaborative. After developing an initial schema, they provided a more detailed UI and design.

What is the team composition?

We worked with at least three core people: Max (Project Manager), Dana (UX Designer), and Jeff (UI and Graphic Designer).

How did you come to work with Sidebench?

They were a recommendation. One of our previous product managers used to work with Sidebench. We trusted that internal referral.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent a little bit over $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from July until November 2020.

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

My general feedback is positive. The three main employees were all very professional; they knew what they were doing. We’ve unanimously agreed that we couldn’t have accomplished what we have without working with Sidebench. They definitely brought the value we needed.

How did Sidebench perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication was clear. We used a combination of Slack and Zoom meetings. There was an official meeting on Monday and a semi-official meeting mid-week. This system was effective. Their project manager always provided agendas and previewed what we were going to talk about the next week. The project management was really well executed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The word for me is ownership. From the beginning, they did a lot of research about us and our users. It felt like they knew the product as well as we did. They cared a lot about the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were a couple of times at the end of the project when things were delivered a few days later than the initial date. Everyone softens up at the end, but it wasn’t to a point where it was detrimental to our roadmap. If I had to share something to improve on, that’s what I would say. There’s nothing else negative to say about them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

First, the client has to be ready and know what they want. They need to have a gameplan in-line so they’re not relying entirely on Sidebench. Working collaboratively with them is the best way to go. Second, make sure to over-communicate. We try to be sensitive about others’ time, which is needed, but not communicating when you need to can deter the overall project.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the chief technical and transformation officer for Cortica. We provide advanced neurologic therapies for children, usually for children with autism or other neurodevelopmental needs. We service most of California and are rapidly growing.

What challenge were you trying to address with Sidebench?

We hired them to help us build a custom software platform that matches family schedules and therapist availability across multiple locations and therapy types. Our goal is to improve outcomes for the children we support by increasing the number of sessions of care each patient receives. We also want to ensure that clients have access to all the different therapies that we offer.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a scheduling tool. They’ve integrated with Office 365 and Outlook, an electronic medical records system that most of our medical providers record their clinical documentation on, and an autism-specific care management system that the majority of our therapists do their clinical documentation relating to their patients.

They’ve also replatformed our website. We moved from Drupal to Contentful and Netlify. We’re considering other project like web app development.

What is the team composition?

I work with Chris (Partner & VP), and 5–6 other people on a regular basis. The team includes a product lead, a UI/UX developer, two  junior product leaders, and an infrastructure manager.

How did you come to work with Sidebench?

They worked alongside other people I knew in the area.  I interviewed a few different firms based on web testimonials and who was recommended to me. Sidebench wanted to understand our business and had worked extensively in healthcare in the past, so they came up to speed quickly. Their CEO was super available and spent lots of time with me ensuring that I understood their approach.

I spent a lot of time with their references to ensure that they were the right fit for us too.

They’re very UI-driven, and I thought that was particularly important for the products that we were planning to develop. They also seemed like the right size for us. I wanted an agile and creative partner that was excited about what we were trying to do. Sidebench beat out everyone else I considered because they checked all of our boxes.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close $2 million so far. That will probably double going forward.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2019 and we finished the first aspect of our partnership in September 2020.

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

On an annual basis, we generate about $6.7 million through the improvements that this platform brings us, including about $4 million from the scheduling program already.

We’ve also seen a 10%–20% increase in contract fulfillment, or our ability to meet with clients based on what is recommended by the healthcare and insurance provider.

Similarly, we’ve been able to reduce the amount of time potential patients are on our waitlist by improving the algorithms we use to schedule them. This lets us hire new providers if needed.

We don’t do super in-depth code reviews, but we do measure the quality of their work through extensive user-testing and sign-offs.

Sidebench is great because they’re aggressive about tracking down bugs and fixing problems. It’s a real partnership, and they don’t nickel and dime me for ongoing issues. They work on an ongoing list of backlogged items that could improve performance, which has been very successful.

How did Sidebench perform from a project management standpoint?

We worked well together. Everything regarding the cost and timeline was articulated well. They update us once or twice a week, especially when we’re busy. Both our team and theirs is pretty agile, so sprint planning has been really helpful. We reassess our priorities almost every other week to ensure that we’re tackling the right challenges.

They’re also super available. I can text any team member and I know that they will get right back to me. We share a Slack channel and a Jira board, too.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They deeply want to understand our business. They’re right there with us, trying to figure out what we need to do to make sure things are done the right way. For example, they’ve created process maps and user-journeys and continue to iterate on those. While this is really important for development, it’s also valuable because they continue to have discussions with me about whether or not we need to codify current processes, or if we want to improve these processes. We don’t want to have to redo anything if we change the process down the line. Only a group that understood our business completely would be able to participate in those conversations. They’re very mission-driven and are very supportive of what we do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve been a fantastic partner.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

To really understand them, ask for references. It will help you learn more about them. If I were a potential new customer, I might not be so aware of how capable they are of understanding the core of our business. However, trusting them to spot opportunities that can optimize various processes, can be very valuable.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a startup.

What challenge were you trying to address with Sidebench?

Starting out, I only had a loose idea of what was needed to get my business off the ground. I hired them as my development partner.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I had an idea and framework of what I wanted my partner to build. We needed them to design the entire product. They did everything from user research to building upon my ideas to creating workflows based on my wireframes. In the end, they completed all of the design work for the app. That included screens and a basic logo. It was important for me to create a proof of concept before diving into the development of a full version.

At this point, they’ve provided that. Now, we’re working together to build out the product they designed. The final solution will be a messaging app that utilizes hashtags to communicate and organize trends. They’re enabling the creation of channels, group messaging, private chat functions, and Twitter integrations. The app will be for iOS and Android.   

What is the team composition?

I have one main point of contact who acts as a product manager. Additionally, there are design and development team teams working on the app as well. 

How did you come to work with Sidebench?

I found them on Clutch. They offered the best ideas and timeframe compared to other companies I interviewed. Additionally, I was looking for a partner that would handle all aspects of development. They offered all the services that I needed, so they were the most suitable.    

How much have you invested with them?

For all of their services, we’re spending about $250,000.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in October 2019. The design was completed in December 2019, and the development started up in January 2020. We’re still working on that now.

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

Since sharing and receiving feedback on their work, we’ve found that the designs are quite intuitive. They’re great at coming up with ideas of their own and managing a heavy workload. In addition, they’re able to explain and describe their processes well in layman’s terms. The design level is very high.

How did Sidebench perform from a project management standpoint?

I appreciate that everything is managed through a single point of contact. That’s been rather convenient for me. We meet together once each week to discuss their progress. They’ve been great at keeping up with schedules and timelines. We haven’t experienced a delay because of that.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re able to build around our concept and work pretty independently. Their team has taken my idea and ran with it, which is exactly what I wanted from them. I didn’t have to worry about the development process as much because of that. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

During the engagement, they used quite a bit of technical jargon that I wasn’t familiar with. They didn’t hold my hand through that process, which may have been helpful.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director of an automotive company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Sidebench?

Primarily, we wanted a website redesign with some better integrations with our CRM. We were hoping to generally improve the digital experience for our clients.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re redesigning our entire WordPress site page by page, focusing on certain aspects upfront. Specifically, we’re redesigning the look and feel for website users. We’re also working the implement single-sign-on to connect a few of our platforms and streamline data input on the admin side of the website. Our goal was to integrate further with Salesforce and create some efficiencies with sharing data.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact there is Spencer (Project Manager, Sidebench), who has a small team working with him to accomplish tasks for our account. 

How did you come to work with Sidebench?

We were referred to them by a previous agency partner who we had to phase out because that partnership wasn’t a match. Our team was looking for guidance, so they recommended Sidebench. We had an initial meeting with them and really enjoyed their team during the discussion. That’s why we decided to move forward.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $60,000–$80,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work with them started in August 2019, and it’s ongoing.

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

We haven’t launched anything yet. It’s mostly been wireframe and concept design to this point. However, the work is already very exciting. They’ve been helping us with the backend and with Salesforce development that’ll allow us to implement some very beneficial efficiencies. 

How did Sidebench perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate typically through Slack and email. Spencer, however, is very responsive to questions and actively speaks to us on a regular basis, keeping us up to date on the process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve been on top of the project since day one. Even after our first meeting, they showed great enthusiasm for development. That’s been really positive for us, especially given all the thought we’ve put into the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t speak to anything. It’s been a good experience so far. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The ongoing communication that we’ve had has been vital to the process. That enforces the fact that they’re on top of everything. They’ve put me at ease in terms of project management concerns. Communication with them has been really beneficial.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and managing partner of Waverly, a healthcare company reducing the risk of chronic disease linked to bacteria within the microbiome of the mouth.

What challenge were you trying to address with Sidebench?

Our in-store services are all credit card-based. We needed someone to figure out a tech stack that would align with that.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Sidebench to do consultative research. It took them about four months. Their team also did check-ins with our branding company that is actually building the software or the technology stack. The initial consulting work is wrapped up, but we’re looking to engage them again for another project to build custom integrations for our technology stack.

What is the team composition?

There were three main people including the CEO and the CTO.

How did you come to work with Sidebench?

We found them through a partner that we’d been working with. Our team was in need of a consultant who could advise us on the correct software we should integrate into our technology.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together from June until October 2019.

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

We’ve seen really great results. Without them, it would have been really difficult to figure out what systems needed to be in place in order for us to execute our goals.

How did Sidebench perform from a project management standpoint?

They were extremely responsive. I called Kevin (Founder/CEO, Sidebench) all the time. The team was always available. We used Slack to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re really smart and nice people. They’re easy to work with. I’m going to be friends with all of them going forward.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re fantastic.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The technology is pretty expensive. Be prepared to recognize those costs can get pretty steep. Before you engage with them, don’t be shy. If they propose a costly build for you, find an alternative. Otherwise, I highly recommend Kevin and the rest of the team.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the head of operations for an entertainment company. Part of what we do is connect creatives from around the world with producers, talent, and executives in Hollywood.

What challenge were you trying to address with Sidebench?

We had created an MVP for a mobile app that would facilitate connections between creatives and collaborators, and we were looking for a partner to build additional elements and take it to the next level quickly.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sidebench helped us develop a native mobile app and web application, integrating feedback from the MVP. We have a live product and continue to release new features and updates every few weeks.

What is the team composition?

We have a product manager, technical architect, frontend designers, and mobile/web developers.

How did you come to work with Sidebench?

We found them through a referral and sent an RFP to them and several other agencies. Then, we brought in Sidebench for an interview, and we liked how scrappy they were. We were impressed by the good ideas they had just in the initial meeting.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent more than $1,000,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together at the start of 2019. Our collaboration is ongoing.

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

All of our users love the app—the way it looks, feels, and how easy it is to use. The features integrate well into users' workflows.

How did Sidebench perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re responsive. When we have special requests, they're always flexible.

We communicate via Slack or phone on a daily basis. They also conduct sprint-planning sessions every two weeks, and we have a weekly touchpoint with the team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really appreciate their flexibility. Our plans and feature prioritization can change quickly, but they’re able to adapt. They're flexible about ramping up or down as our business requirements change.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could certainly cost less. They made exceptions for us when our project requirements changed. Although it wasn’t an issue with them specifically, some businesses' needs change quickly, and mechanisms in place for adjusting quickly would be helpful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be upfront with them. Define requirements and take opportunities you have to talk to them. It can often be difficult to plan ahead when things can change so quickly, but transparency and advanced notice always help.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of PCIHIPAA, a privacy and data protection company focused on private practices. We help dentists and doctors protect the privacy and security of patient information and comply with HIPAA. Our goal is for them to avoid the risks associated with data breaches, human error, and non-compliance.

What challenge were you trying to address with Sidebench?

We’ve developed a proprietary HIPAA compliance platform called OfficeSafe. This product helps us streamline business processes and easily educate all of our clients. When I hired Sidebench, I was looking for additional product expertise to help us determine the strategy and the direction of where we were going to take the platform.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I've hired them as an outsourced product development and strategy company. The first project that we did when we starting working with them was a strategy exercise. They went out and interviewed our clients to understand how they were using our platform. Based on this data, they made strategic recommendations for where we should take the product.

They did a full, end-to-end customer research analysis, including a customer feedback session, to understand churn as it related to product pain points. We took this data, combined it with our customer journey insights, and had Sidebench help us create a product roadmap. They’ve been leading development efforts for our product ever since.

What is the team composition?

We have a team of outsourced developers that they manage, and I have a product manager, Andy (Product Manager, Sidebench), on their team that I work with. The team composition fluctuates based on our current focus.

For example, during the customer research phase, we had additional people doing customer interviews and gathering data for presentations. If we’re working on the UI, our product manager might bring in a UI designer, and if we have multiple code changes, he could bring in more developers.

We have a team working on security features right now that we brought in specifically for that kind of expertise.

How did you come to work with Sidebench?

I’m part of an entrepreneurial leadership group that Sidebench’s CEO is also a part of. I saw Kevin (CEO, Sidebench) present at the group, and I was impressed with his vision and the work he was doing.

We had multiple conversations about our work, and it eventually made sense for us to start working together. The rest of his team is also incredibly intelligent and professional. They seemed like a great culture fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent just over $200,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the engagement about a year ago, in November 2018. The work is ongoing.

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

I believe wholeheartedly that the work they’re doing is increasing our enterprise value. Because of their expertise in product development and design, our platform is improving in some remarkable ways. Their work is going to pay off in dividends down the line.

I treat Sidebench as if they were my vice president of product development. Instead of having one person in-house, I decided to outsource that role. That was an excellent decision because I now have a variety of resources as opposed to one person. Due to its size, PCIHIPAA isn’t quite ready to bring in a full product team, and Sidebench has filled that void for me.

How did Sidebench perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been fantastic in terms of communication. Andy is extremely upbeat and very much in tune with what we’re doing. He usually runs our weekly meetings. I appreciate how detailed he is with his note-taking and how diligent he is about meeting deadlines.

Andy is also easy to work with because he is great at managing people. He’s been hugely influential in helping us improve some of our communication workflows, even implementing some new systems that we didn’t have in place.

Andy uses JIRA to manage our developers, and we use Basecamp on our end. We typically communicate via phone or email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to take technical issues and professionally communicate them to me is impressive. They are extremely knowledgeable and intelligent. They’re domain expertise, across both development and design, sets them apart. Their communication style and strategic aptitude are also noteworthy.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I do sometimes wish that things could be done a little bit faster. For example, we’re working on a whole hierarchy change in our code, that they advised us to do, and it’s taking longer than I would’ve liked. I do believe it’s the right thing to do though.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Spend time upfront letting them know what your objectives are. It takes time to understand customers and gain knowledge of a different market, but if you give them the information they need, they’ll be able to respond effectively and drive innovation.

They’ve proven that they’re great at this, especially collecting customer feedback. Let them carry out their process and you’ll find success.