Environmental Safety and Compliance
Analysis / Needs Assessment
Building on the learning from initial discussions, we’ll further clarify your requirement with a formal scoping study, involving strategic department heads and key end-users along with our technical team.
We’ll look at suitable technologies that are available; we’ll also look at what technologies are just around the corner in this ever-changing industry. We’ll provide a series of options illustrating the relative benefits and disadvantages of each option.
It’s very common that “the best” solution is also the most costly and possibly out of reach in the short term. We’ll discuss with you where you’d like to be and in what timescale. What we will not do is recommend a solution which might preclude you from taking the project to the next stage at some future point.
Above all, our aim is to provide you with all of the information you need, in a language that you understand to make an educated business decision understanding both the benefits and costs of the project.
Analysis
Determine the business / project objectives
Development
The expert Software Solutions Development Team is trained in the use of modern technologies and programming tools as well as they have a firm foundation of experience in accepted development methodologies.
Using Virtual Server and PC technology, we are able to provide a ‘clean’ environment to configure your software solution. This can mimic your own working environment, so that even while in the development phase we are considering how to minimize the technical issues that may occur when rolling out the software solution to your user base (ie. identifying and pre-empting environmental infrastructure issues) before the software is even installed.
We’ll involve you in the development process as much as possible, identifying opportunities in the development schedule for you to see how the software is progressing. We find this a great way to identify any changes in your business or desired process from the Analysis / Design phases so that when the software gets to the production environment, it is exactly what you need.
If possible, we’ll identify points to deliver into the production environment. This has the advantage of your users getting in front of the software and providing valuable feedback.
Design
It‘s a proven fact that providing a sound, well thought through specification at this stage can save significant time in the future. We’ve (unfortunately) seen many IT / software projects embarked on before the design is fully understood. This only ever leads frustration, delays and unanticipated costs – from you, your supplier and everyone involved in the project.
Our recommended way of working is for all project key stakeholders to meet, understand each other’s requirements and find a common language that all understand. A Solutions Project Manager will be assigned to your project to facilitate the communication between ”the business“, ”the user’s“ and ”the techies“ assigned to delivering the project. We find that with all teams working together with a common understanding of what’s required in a common language, projects are delivered far more quickly and efficiently.
During this phase, we‘ll prepare a set of documentation formally describing the project in detail (or at least the first phase*). If appropriate, we may also provide prototype solutions so that everyone understands what it is we‘re delivering, how it will fit into your business process and the costs involved.
* For larger projects, or with projects that may have uncertainty in later phases, we may recommend that these are delivered in phases so that the learning from initial phases, practical experience and benefits may be taken through to later areas of the overall development.
Testing
Again, we will use Virtual Server and PC technology for testing to replicate your working environment to identify environmental issue before the software is installed or downloable in your mobile devices and/or offices. This also provides you with a familiar environment where you too can test the software before it’s deployed.
We use several key techniques to make sure that the software is delivered “fit for use”:
Implementation
Depending on the size of the solution we are delivering for you, deployment can take a few hours or it may be a few days or longer. Our committed implementation team is flexible and understands the need for a business to schedule key stakeholders time from their busy days and to minimize any system down-time that might be involved.
As part of the deployment exercise, we plan and prioritize the process before we install or upload the custom software solution. We also migrate any of your legacy data and explain the exact processes.
If circumstances dictate, evenings or weekends can be planned to avoid your normal business hours and ensure that disruption is minimized.
During the migrating legacy data process when integrating your software systems issues may be identified such as unmatched details, old information and different data sources. Note that we would expect to achieve an understanding of the workload involved here during the analysis phase and trials done during the testing phase – the impact of migrating data should not come as an unexpected part of this stage!!!
Implementation/Deployment
Training
We know that there’s no one defined way to train, so we’ll work with you to design suitable courses for your users. Whether it’s technical training, user training (from any level), train the trainer or just some User Guides you need.
For initial formal half and full-day training sessions, we are flexible on where training takes place – courses can take place at your offices, our offices or we can arrange offsite facilities to avoid distractions as well as remote support and training videos. For ongoing training, new employees or if all you need is a quick refresher on a specific area of the software, then we can arrange an online course using screen sharing technology.
Project Management
We draw on many Project Management techniques to ensure that both the development team involved and customers work to their highest potential and efficiency.
With our firm foundation, experience in delivering projects and drawing on techniques (ie. AGILE and “extreme” programming) Alegnas Team has developed its own interpretation of a Project Lifecycle to ensure that the solid foundation of Project Management, Support and Quality Management make the transition from the original idea to implementation as efficiently as possible.
Alegnas Technologies Team is skilled and has knowledge in most of the common Project Management methodologies and techniques. Depending on the size of your project, we will agree the most appropriate level of project management involvement.
We frequently find when dealing with businesses that they need to deliver value back to their business as soon as possible. For that reason, we’ll often adopt an agile / extreme programming model which we find reduces the high ceremony of models such as Prince2 of those based on the Capability Maturity Model (CMM). We find that agile / extreme programming techniques provide a framework for you to have the flexibility you need but while still having a controlled development approach.
Support Management
We don’t think of support as something that comes after the software is delivered. We pride ourselves in providing constant ongoing support to our customers throughout a project – whether it’s questions on the functionality of the solution we’re working on, determining how it will fit into your business process, a technical question on how it will fit into your infrastructure or about something completely different! We’re always happy to provide support to keep you informed and help you understand, so you can make the right decision.
We provide practical support over the phone, remotely through desktop screen sharing technology or scheduled visits as circumstances dictate.
Quality Management
We think of “quality” a being at the very foundation of what our company provides. We are 100+% committed to delivering you the highest standards in all of our services. To achieve this, we provide carefully crafted documentation, trained project staff, a rigorous testing approach and high levels of communication.
When we look at quality, we not only look at the quality of the total solution, hardware and services, but even more so at the quality of the processes delivering the service. “Quality” is a lifestyle, a fundamental philosophy ingrained in all aspects of our company activity. We constantly strive to improve all development processes, taking into account the most up to date thinking in the field of quality and project management.