Southport Technology Group

**BACKGROUND** Introduce your company and your role within it. I am the IT manager at Black Bear Energy, which serves as a buyer's agent for solar energy, primarily operating within the real estate sector. **OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE** What issue were you addressing by collaborating with Southport Technology Group? We required assistance in creating an online bid form. **SOLUTION** What was the extent of their involvement? Initially, we designed the platform and outlined our requirements. Subsequently, Southport Technology built the software for us. The end result was an online bid submission form that enabled us to digitize the bidding process and manage relevant information in our database. Who was on the team? We collaborated with Trevor (CEO) and a few developers. How did you begin working with Southport Technology Group? I had previously worked with Trevor and was impressed by his technical expertise, so I contacted him during our RFP process. We ultimately selected them because they comprehended our requirements well. How much did you invest in this partnership? Our expenditure ranged from $10,000 to $25,000. What is the current status of this engagement? The project was active from January to June 2020, and we are still collaborating with them on additional initiatives. **RESULTS & FEEDBACK** What evidence do you have to demonstrate the impact of the collaboration? The work done by Southport Technology significantly accelerated our RFP processes, which was our main objective. It also allowed us to greatly increase the number of projects we could undertake and successfully finish. Overall, we were very satisfied with their contributions. How did Southport Technology Group perform regarding project management? They exhibited superior project management abilities compared to any other vendor I’ve worked with. Their organizational skills were outstanding, and they tailored their communication to align with ours, which we found very accommodating. What impressed you the most about them? Their technical abilities were noteworthy, and their project management was key to the project's success. Additionally, their pricing was quite reasonable — we never felt that they were prolonging the project for financial gain. Southport Technology was accountable and transparent, which we valued. Are there any areas for improvement? I wish they were a larger firm capable of handling more projects, but generally, I have no significant critiques of the team. What advice would you give to prospective customers? Be ready with your ideas but also remain open to their suggestions.