Typically, a software development process is crafted according to the project requirements. However, our custom-defined processes normally take one of these two possible approaches.
Standard Software Development Process
For developing an application with clear requirements, boundaries and scope, whether it is a new application or the maintenance/migration/enhancement of an existing application, we typically follow a full-featured traditional seven-phase software development process.
We have well-defined processes for each of the specialised technologies used to develop an application. These processes support all phases of the project, from project definition, analysis, design, programming and testing to acceptance and deployment. Each stage of the process is carefully tracked through our proprietary Project Management Intranet/Extranet, Transparent Contractor (TM), which provides a high degree of transparency so that clients can monitor the progress and time allocation throughout the development process. Our processes, which incorporate structured project tracking and monitoring with client feedback, are the basis for our successful outsourced development services.
Interactive Software Development Process
For an application that evolves over a period of time and requires several delivery phases, or when a customer only has an idea in mind, rather than detailed requirements, we pursue interactive software development methodology from the start of the project.
During the first phase, we create a quick prototype that covers the core and most challenging functionalities of the application. In most cases, after this phase, we have a system that is 50-70% functional in about 30-40% of the total development time. Typically, such a prototype has some known technical limitations and its performance is not optimised. But it helps us and our clients to get a fairly good idea of how the application is shaping up and highlights areas that are lacking or need closer attention. Once an acceptable prototype is ready, the next step is to prioritise the features to be developed and/or supplement the prototype with additional features to achieve the desired functionalities. In the next stages of development we focus on further fine-tuning the features and performance, plus the look and feel of the application.
For clients who are working on fast-track e-business/e-commerce projects with very demanding schedules, we follow the RAD method instead of the traditional seven-phase development method.
