“It was evident very quickly that Deployed knew outsourcing, knew the local market in Manila, and had access to a great talent pool” – Bruce Howe

CASE STUDY: PUTTI APPS AND DEPLOYED

Background: introducing Putti Apps

Putti Apps (Putti) is a 100% Kiwi owned development agency. They build world-class apps, seamless web solutions, and work with enterprise-level backend systems to solve complex business problems.

As a provider of software development, design, and consulting services, they need top-notch talent… who can be expensive and difficult to find when you need them most. The inability to grow as and when they needed was holding the business back.

Why outsource? 

A 10 year old business, Putti has experimented with various business models to support scaling up for new projects and finding the best talent. “We’d tried setting up a team in India and spent some years trying to make it work. It did not”, says Bruce Howe, Managing Director of Putti. “We experienced not only a big trade off in the quality of work, but issues in communication, and delays in delivery too.”

Understandably, Putti was shy to explore outsourcing again despite still struggling to scale and fill talent gaps. Then at a leadership event Bruce met Geoff Baldwin, Deployed’s CEO, and outsourcing to the Philippines came up. 

Early discussions were very focused on quality, communication, and cost; it was imperative that the cost benefits didn’t result in any compromise to the quality Putti was known for.

Deployed’s experienced team assured Bruce that talent existed to meet his very high levels. He asked for references and it was this feedback from other businesses that convinced him outsourcing with Deployed might be just what Putti needed. 

Why outsource with Deployed?

The initial face-to-face meeting that got the ball rolling, helped to create trust and a feeling of transparency from the outset. As conversations progressed and Bruce completed background checks on Deployed, the shared values around quality and commitment became evident. 

Another contributing factor was the straight forward advice Deployed gave on how it could all work – having remote team members based in Manila working alongside his team back in Auckland. “We knew it wouldn’t be effortless, but the benefits were too tempting to ignore”, says Bruce. “So, we decided to test the model with one role based in Deployed’s Manila office.”

The solution

“We’re a high performing company with high expectations – we know what we want from the team so had a clear idea of exactly who we needed to recruit”, says Bruce. Putti’s high expectations were balanced with good salary offers; they knew they’d get what they paid for in the Philippines just as much as you do anywhere else in the world. 

Their first outsourced team member, a back end developer, was used to working with expats – dealing with foreign companies and working with foreigners, and was a good cultural fit for Putti. His prior experience assisted in a smooth onboarding stage and he quickly became a key part of the Putti team.

This initial success gave Bruce the confidence to grow their outsourced team with Deployed. It now consists of two Back End Developers, a QA Analyst, Mobile Developer, and Digital Marketing Manager. “We’ve retained our very high recruitment standards and focused on finding the right person for the job rather than rushing the recruitment phase”, says Bruce. “The right talent has always been found – matching our desired skills and experience, and fitting our team culture.” 

A common culture has developed across Putti’s Auckland and Manila based teams with everyone attending a ‘Daily Stand Up’ call. “This keeps everyone aligned, and more importantly ensures buy-in to the outcomes, and commitment to each other”, says Bruce. “We use video calls wherever possible, including our monthly meetings to share business progress and future plans. This all contributes to the team behaving as exactly that; one team, irrespective of location.” 

The results speak for themselves

What seemed like a risky, unknown approach, has helped the Putti business grow and deliver more projects, more quickly, and to a higher level than if they’d had to hire locally. 

“With Deployed, we’ve found great talent who are able to maintain our international quality standards”, says Bruce. “Crucially, our Manila team have both the communication skills and ability to deliver to timelines, which have seen them fit right in with our fast-moving kiwi team. “It’s a pleasure to see them working so well with our Auckland team, every day.”

Putti has such strong belief in the ability of the team and the international talent pool now available to them, that they’ve got the confidence to step up to any challenge and go after any new development project.

Putti’s Manila team enjoy the work and get a real sense of pride in what they’re doing. With clear expectations from the outset and the sense of satisfaction that comes from achieving as a team, Putti have built a very engaged, very loyal team in Manila.

The outcome

“It was evident very quickly that Deployed knew outsourcing, knew the local market in Manila, and had access to a great talent pool”, says Bruce. “But what made all the difference was the partnership approach – always being available for our team to run something by, to provide good honest advice even if it wasn’t the easy answer, to listen to our concerns, and understand our business priorities.” 

Just like any relationship, it’s all about communication. With Putti and Deployed both valuing and striving towards open, honest, transparent communication, both parties knew they were working towards the same goal and helping each other get there.

The partnership works business wide, with members of the Putti team going direct to the Deployed recruitment team when they’re considering a new role rather than working through the Account Manager. “It’s a symbol of how well we know the Deployed team and how comfortable we are in dealing with their wider team”, says Bruce. The Deployed team enjoy these direct interactions and the feeling of being directly accountable and valuable to clients.

CONTACT US today for your free quote and a discussion about how outsourcing could help your business.