:: Methodology & Best Practices ::

Custom software development is a complex process with a historically poor rate of ultimate success. It is through the structure of our industry-proven approach that we can assure you: what you need is what you get – no delays, no missing functionality, and no unmet expectations.

Our definition of successful software projects

• An application meets your expectations for capabilities
• All deliverables meet stipulated deadlines
• Costs stay within your budget
• An application meet our stringent quality standards
• User interfaces are intuitive and follow present-day user-interface standards
• Reporting capabilities support user customization at run-time and offer a multi-dimensional view into your business processes.
• An open and component-based architecture that enable your application to extend and connect seamlessly with other information in your enterprise
• And finally, an overall finished product that works year-in-year-out with no “care or feeding” from our side. Our product design approach emphasizes 100% availability of the system to your staff. We design our products to be there when you need them, but also make ourselves continuously available for any unavoidable hard-ware failures or customization requests.

Communication – It always takes (at least) two

Custom software development is a complex process that goes beyond the ability to understand a programming language. We know that succeeding with any project requires active listening on our part, and clear written communications between the customer and ourselves to ensure you receive what you need from the end-product.

As the consultant, we know that managing this dialogue is our responsibility and that your ultimate satisfaction is directly related to our ability to listen, understand and restate your expectations.

We ensure that all stakeholders in the project - both on our side and yours -- are identified, and that there are clear lines of communication throughout all stages of the project. You are always in the know – as we schedule regular meetings with you, and provide you with regular project status reports.

A commitment to clearly stated deliverables

It is often said that : Given an unlimited budget, time and size of the development team, a software product can offer limitless features. Unfortunately, we have yet to find a customer in a position to bankroll this!

The reality of any product development process is that needs must be balanced against the development costs of time and money. It is in this light that as part of written proposals outlining capabilities, we will also provide you with a list of known limitations in the product being proposed, a.k.a the “what is not included” list. Our intent is to be explicit about the deal we are entering into with you, and ensure you have no unpleasant surprises after our work is through.

Thorough project management

Being effective and responsive in today’s software environment requires serious thinking about processes and project management practices. We develop a Project Management Plan that serves as a baseline for the entire project. Every stage of the project has its own activities, deliverables, deadlines and quality evaluation methods. Our project managers keep a close eye on project activities, and we develop and deliver your software in a methodical and phased manner. This ensures that you experience a smooth transition from your existing working methods to the new methods being adopted.

Our project management methodology goes well beyond typical project management tools. Over the course of the past 8 years, we have developed our own task and requirements management software called Reqman. This SQL Server based tool serves as the repository for all information on every project. It is the central location where all customer communications and design decisions are recorded. Reqman encompasses time tracking, task status, task assignment to staff, customer invoicing and dozens of reports on these topics. We have recently extended Reqman to work with Microsoft Project, enabling us to more visually and holistically gauge the progress of the range of different projects underway.

Ensuring transparency and accountability

Not only does Reqman serve as an internal management tool-we periodically update our customers with reports that are extracted directly from our internal records. This allows you visibility into the workings of our development process, and allows you to watch progress being made.

Complementing Reqman is a small Visual Basic utility resembling a punch clock that is resident on all staff computers – and used throughout the day to record progress on tasks. We meticulously record all-billable time, and make our daily effort more transparent to you by including this very content as status reports and/or invoices. And while we spend a considerable amount of time in technology research, we typically complete all research on our own time. For projects that are on technology platforms that are new to us, we only bill you for the time it would have taken us to complete the work had we had prior experience on such platform.