2. Company Background
• We are a custom application development and services firm that has
delivered enterprise software solutions for over 17 years to small,
medium sized and Fortune 500 firms.
• Our success is directly related to our business philosophy based on
traditional business values:
- developing long-term relationships
- providing exceptional customer service
- creating products and services that add meaningful value
to our customers‘ businesses.
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3. Business Services Portfolio
Cobb Solutions
Custom application development and services
Webfoot Taylor Agency Bell Research
Web design & digital mktg. Strategic marketing & adv. Consumer insights & Customer
SEO/SEM Satisfaction Reporting
Channel Mgt.
Direct sales & affiliate mktg.
We deliver innovative technology and business
solutions to maximize our clients’ competitive
effectiveness.
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4. Business Services Description
Custom Software Web Design Marketing & Research
Development Brand Management
• .Net application • User-centered site design • Brand strategy, dev. • Product and offer validation
development • Content management systems • Traditional marketing • Quantitative and qualitative
C++, C sharp, SQL Server… • Brand management • Digital marketing research to gain business insights
• Dynamic E-commerce sites • SEO/SEM management • Online affiliate programs • Turn key customer survey management
• Data warehouse systems • Expert creative services • Refer a friend programs • Customer satisfaction reporting
• Business intelligence and • Social media integration & • Affiliate program management • Executive reports with monthly/quarterly
decision-support systems managed services • Strategic advertising support in person presentations
• Support services • TV
• System integration • Radio
• N-tier and service-oriented • Print
software • Grass roots
• Web services
• File-server and client-server
databases
Dynamic pricing tools, End to End Web design, Online affiliate
and Referral programs, Partner payment & reconciliation
systems, Consumer insights and Pricing/Offer validation
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6. Core Team Approach
Program/Product
Management
Project
Management/
Release Business Analysis
Management
Communication
Solution
Architecture/ UX
Quality Assurance Design
Development
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7. Core Team Approach Cont.
• Program / Product Management: Oversight and management of all projects to ensure overall customer
strategic needs are met in an efficient and purposeful way.
• Project management: Planning, organizing, securing and managing resources to bring about the
successful completion of specific project goals and objectives. Produce project plan and timeline for
implementation.
• Business Analysis: Scope the system, Interpret business needs, Translate technical needs, Spell out
project details and requirements, Drive test, validation and user acceptance.
• Solution Architecture: Organizes the development effort of the systems solution. Responsible for the
development of the overall vision that underlies the projected solution and transforms that vision
through execution into the solution. Database design, entity relationship diagramming, and
normalization.
• UX Design: Application of user-centered design practices and a highly contextual design mentality to
produce front end design for sites, mobile devices and applications
• Development: Make technical decisions that impact positively on adjacent systems and provide useful
features. Consults with program / product management to determine needs, document best practices
and review code.
• Quality Assurance: Work with business analyst to identify test strategy. Generate and execute
comprehensive test cases and track defects.
• Release Management: Oversee the development, testing, deployment and support of software
releases. Manage the content, location, purpose and defect resolution for all releases.
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8. Software Development Lifecycle
• We use a modified version of the Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF) to
develop the applications our customers request.
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9. Cobb Approach to SDLC
• Envisioning Phase: In the Envisioning Phase, the team identifies the vision and scope of the project by
preparing a vision and scope document. During this phase, goals for the project are formed and a
vision statement is created that defines the entire project. This shared vision helps the team to work
towards a common objective. The project team is assembled and the team members are empowered
by having roles and responsibilities assigned to them.
• Planning Phase: During this phase, a master project plan is created that consists of all sub-plans, such as
the test plan and development plan.
• Developing Phase: During this phase, the application components are created based on the
development plans. The source code is built to create the project deliverables.
• Stabilizing Phase: During this phase, all the components are tested collectively to ensure that the entire
solution operates properly. The testing criteria include achieving the desired functionality, security, and
performance requirements. The tested database and components form the deliverables of this stage.
Once testing is complete, the solution must be stabilized to ensure that it meets defined quality levels.
• Deploying Phase: In this phase, the team deploys the solution and ensures that it is stable and can be
used. The tested solution is moved into production. The solution components are tuned in the
production environment. A solution signoff is obtained from all stakeholders that confirms that the
application meets the requirements developed during the Envisioning and Planning Phases.
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11. First Choice Power
• Business goal and needs:
o Leverage the Internet to engage customers and extend brand
o Compete with large players in non-traditional ways via 3rd party and online channels
o Automate pricing and improve reporting for margin management
o Automate process to drive efficiencies and accuracy related to meeting PUCT consumer
protection requirements related to pricing offers.
o Automation for commercial broker recruitment and management.
• Results:
o Deployed dynamic ecommerce site to better represent the brand, present relevant offers in the
marketplace and allow for easy content management.
o Full integration of social media throughout online platform.
o Deployed channel infrastructure to enable door to door sales, 3rd party telemarketing and online
affiliate programs with toolset that included sales management reports and partner payment and
reconciliation system.
o Deployed automated pricing tool that allowed management to easy create and modify pricing in
the marketplace across >450 unique offers with changes reflected in 4 days, including full
automation of EFL, TOSA and welcome kit delivery.
o Deployed broker onboarding toolset that enabled frictionless management for broker recruitment,
setup and ongoing relationship management.
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17. Dell Computer
• Business goal and needs:
o Leverage the Internet to engage commercial customers and drive efficiencies
across sales operations
o Solution that would be scalable to meet worldwide segment and
organizational needs
o Consumer marketing expansion via online channels
• Results:
o Developed customized intranet sites (Dell Premier) that ultimately spanned 60K
commercial customers worldwide on a single database driven ecommerce
system
o Drove sales operational efficiencies across the company
o Created a unique competitive advantage for a direct manufacturer by
making information available for asset management
o Deployed online affiliate and employee referral platform
o Met goal of >50% Dell revenue through ecommerce platform in 3 years
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19. TXU Energy
• Business goal & needs:
o Leverage the Internet to engage consumers to both gain more customers and
better serve existing customers with online billing support
o Need for closed loop marketing campaigns
o Infrastructure required to support 3rd party marketing and sales channels
• Results:
o Deployed dynamic ecommerce site to better present relevant offers in the
marketplace in conjunction with a content management system allowing for
quick efficient changes to the site via marketing personnel
• Industry leader with increased online adoption to greater than 30%
o Deployed closed loop campaign tracking tool allowing call center agents to
respond to customer specific promotional pricing
o Deployed channel infrastructure to enable door to door sales, 3rd party
telemarketing and online affiliate programs with toolset that included sales
management reports and partner payment and reconciliation system
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22. For more information please contact:
Michael Swart
COO, Cobb Solutions
michael@cobbsolutions.com
https://twitter.com/Michael_Swart
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/michael-swart/0/24a/a84
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