The Process how does it work?
Industry professionals define the development process in different ways. WE define the process as below, and help you get it done every step of the way.
1. Initiation
How good is your idea? Does it "have legs"? Who's doing something similar, already? Who will buy the finished product, and why? How will it be sold? How will it be supported? What's the best technology for the job?
We can help you answer critical questions before development begins, saving you time and money. Each case is different, but it typically includes:
- Feasibility research and analysis.
- Market research, primary selling points, and potential marketing strategies.
- Identify possible risks and create a mitigation plan for each.
- Functional and technical specifications that can be used by developers to get the work done efficiently.
Our initiation process is designed to take the guess work out of the project at the most critical stage -- the beginning.
2. Development
Now that you have everything you need to get start, how do you begin? How will you find people that can do the work? How will you know if they are for real or just blowing smoke? How will you know you're getting the best deal on costs and labor?
As experienced developers and project managers, we've worked with both superstars and losers. We "get" the sense of insecurity one can feel when working with new people in unfamiliar territory. We will help you:
- Find and hire developers, designers, and other labor as needed.
- Manage acquisition of licenses and intellectual property rights.
- Organize and manage software production to maintain timelines and budget.
- Continually help refine project specifications and the marketing plan.
The technology world is full of jargon, methodologies, and tools -- that you need never worry about if you let us manage the project for you.
3. Launch
How will the project be delivered? Where will the project hosted? What kind of website do we need to promote it? How do we let people know this great new product exists?
Launching a product is more than just the technical considerations. By now we will have a full understanding of version one features and how best to turn them loose on the world. Making sure the project is successfully launched is all a part of the job, and we help by:
- Making sure you have the necessary Web presence to effectively promote the project.
- Find and allocate the best and most cost-effective technologies to deliver and support the project.
- Execute the marketing plan from stages 1 and 2 to make sure the product gets the send-off it deserves.
Launching your product should have the same kind of effort and atmosphere as opening a new store, and can make or break the finished product.
4. Maintenance and Marketing
What happens after the project is launched? How do you answer customer questions or deal with problem reports? You've had some new thoughts on the product and have received great customer feedback, but how do you implement these ideas?
Hired guns usually leave town when the fight is over. We believe that considering the full life-cycle of a product from stage 1 through stage 3 is one of the best ways to improve one's chances for success, so when the product is launched and the smoke has cleared, we know exactly what needs to be done next. We help with:
- Sales and marketing materials.
- Finding and training sales and support staff.
- Set up the necessary tools for managing customer support, bug reports, and feature requests.
- Manage subsequent development cycles to fix bugs and implement new features.
Most software project plans end with delivery, but we believe if this is where your plan stops, you are not going the last mile in making your product a success. It's like buying a car with no fuel -- it's not going to go anywhere.
