Our Approach
For any software development project, the analysis of the processes to be automated is critical. Only a clear understanding of the environmental, integration and personnel issues will see the project succeed and achieve its full potential.
The life cycle of our software development process can be defined as follows:
Strategy Planning
Strategy planning is the formal mechanism for deciding which areas of the business require new or enhanced computer systems. This will involve assessing the relative priorities of different areas as well as defining the prerequisites for those areas.
Feasibility Study
Before any systems development begins in earnest it is necessary to establish its feasibility, although in some instances there is no choice in the matter; computer services are sometimes required to help the business remain competitive or comply with legislation. The ideas that come out of the strategy planning are often vague and untested so some assessment of their feasibility must be carried out before committing expensive resources to a project that cannot be cost justified or is technically impossible.
Systems Analysis
Once a project is underway, we need to establish the requirements of the users, and therefore the business. The objective is to concentrate on what the software should deliver and not how it should deliver it.
System Design
The results of the systems analysis can now be translated into a computer system design which details how these needs will be satisfied. The system design phase provides a blueprint for the building, testing and deployment of the new system.
Implementation
It is during the implementation phase that the programs are finally constructed and hardware is installed. Training is delivered to users and assistance in migrating to the new system is provided.
Maintenance
The maintenance phase covers the period when the system is up and running in support of the business. This is in many ways the most important phase of the project life cycle; it is the longest and affects the business and its users the most. Unresolved system errors can cause great inconvenience and unimplemented business process changes can reduce productivity and weaken the integrity of the system.