Requirements Analysis

Probably the most important aspect determining the success of a project is having a complete and well defined set of requirements. Even the best design, if based on incomplete requirements, will only result in a dissatisfied client. The results of the requirements analysis forms the basis for the contract between your client and the development team. The requirements will dictate the architecture and design that will follow. It will also form the basis for testing. And finally it will be used as the acceptance test criteria by the client. Industry-wide surveys show that the effective analysis of a project's requirements is fundamental to the success of a project. If your team is too busy or lacks the expertise to analyze your software requirements, we can assist by working with your project management team and client, in analyzing the project and producing the requirements documents.

Architecture Design

Besides having a complete set of requirements, determining the best architecture is arguably the second most important determinant to a successful project. The efficiency with which the design will evolve will be largely dependent on how good the architecture was specified. The architecture will affect the flexibility, ease-of-maintenance, performance, and robustness of the resulting application. We can help your team define the architecture for your project or we can provide a second opinion or suggestions regarding your existing architecture. Choosing a good architecture today can help prevent tomorrow's headaches.

Microsoft .NET Design and Development

It takes more than just knowing a programming language to ensure a well-designed application, it requires an intimate understanding of the platform. Understanding the intricacies and benefits (or pitfalls) of the various technologies available within the .Net platform is crucial to a successful design. The constantly changing marketplace requires that not only you understand today's technologies but also which will be available tomorrow. It is typical for a product life to span over several iterations of the underlying framework. As a result, it is therefore essential that the design be amenable to the changes that will inevitably take place. We can assist by providing support, guidance, or even leadership to the project in all phases of the development. Where special technologies are identified, we can provide all necessary training to ensure team members are comfortable with the concepts.

Test and QA Assessment

Testing should not be an afterthought in any project. The quality of your product will not only be affected by the design but also by the effectiveness of the testing. An effective testing strategy is crucial to the development. We can assist your team by providing guidance in 'testable design', integration test planning, automated testing, and preparing for the acceptance testing.

Business Modeling

Are your spending most of your profit re-inventing the wheel? Determining the key functionality that you provide your customers and then implementing a library framework that will allow you to provide a consistent product offering is essential to an enterprises success. An analysis of your offerings will allow you to understand your business better and help you identify your customers and their needs. Using object oriented modeling we can develop a library model of your business offering. The library will provide you with a re-usable code base which will then reduce the overall design cost of subsequent projects. The library will also increase the reliability of your product since it provides a proven tested platform. Enhancements and extensions are also facilitated due to the library's extensible object model. The first step in identifying your business object model starts here.

Development Process Assessment

There seems to be a plethora of development processes out there these days. Have you picked the best one? Well the most important factor is you and your bottom line, in other words what works for you. So which process you use is really not that important. What is important is that you have a process in place that is repeatable so that it can be improved. Did today's most popular process exist five years ago? Will it be the most popular 5 years from now? There is one thing that is certain, that nothing stays the same. Today's technology and business opportunities are constantly changing. So the most important thing is to make sure that the process that you use has a built-in feedback mechanism that will allow you to improve over time. Let's take a look at your goals and your current process and see where a good suggestion will lead.

Developer Mentoring and Training

If you have a development team that is light in some technology areas, instead of spending time on courses or presentations that have no relationship to your immediate needs, consider the benefits of having your team 'learn by doing' using your current projects. When attending a packaged session your team has to learn the technology and then come back and figure out how the technology can be applied to your specific projects. Why not have them learn the technologies by applying them to your current project requirements? We can assist by providing guidance and training that are based on the requirements of your current projects.