Every consulting engagement at Workstate follows our four phased process. The goal of this process is to minimize the costs and risks incurred by our clients when outsourcing any software project. There are unique challenges associated with the design and development of large software systems and our process has evolved to represent our best approach to these challenges.
During the Inception phase, we provide you with a brief overview of our company and our approach to software development. We also work to understand your business goals and processes relevant to the project in question. The project itself is discussed both from a business perspective and from a technology perspective. The goal of the Inception phase is to create a shared understanding about the scope and goals of the potential project. Workstate does not typically charge any fees associated with the Inception phase. Rather, we consider the Inception phase to be our opportunity to get to know your project and to determine if we are a good fit for your needs.
In the case of extremely small projects it is sometimes possible for us to produce a proposal for the rest of the project at the conclusion of the Inception phase. However, it is much more common for projects to require further specification prior to the creation of any realistic cost estimates. In these situations, Workstate recommends a two stage budgeting process. In the first stage, we produce a proposal for just the Elaboration phase, which is discussed next. At the conclusion of the Elaboration phase, we will have enough information to present the second stage of budgeting that covers the Construction and Transition phases.
The goal of the Elaboration phase is to create a detailed blueprint of the project that includes some or all of the following:
This Project Blueprint is the output of the Elaboration phase and it includes enough information to allow Workstate to present a detailed budget for the following Construction and Transition Phases.
During this phase, the blueprint created during the Elaboration phase is carried forward into a functioning system. This phase is extremely intensive for Workstate internally but typically requires little or no resources to be dedicated by you or your team. One common exception to this rule is that in some interactive applications this phase will require content assets (visual designs, images, copy, etc.) to be delivered by you for inclusion in the final product. If applicable, these content assets will have been defined and scheduled for delivery during the Elaboration phase.
Once Construction is complete, the Transition phase occurs to deploy the software system to its permanent home. Transition usually includes extensive training and knowledge transfer to your internal project team or IT department.
If source code for this application is to be maintained by your staff or a third party then this phase includes any meetings and/or documentation required ensure that a complete and seamless transition of control occurs.
