From customisation of existing software to ground-up projects, organisations such as Mitsubishi, the NHS and Sainsbury's trust Enable's ability to deliver unique solutions that an off-the-shelf alternative could never match. Project management is an essential ingredient in any project to ensure that the system is "right first time". We provide our project management services during and after development.
A typical Enable bespoke software development project would conform to the following process.
Specification
We work closely with our clients to produce a detailed written specification for every project we take on. We will typically hold several needs analysis sessions with the key stakeholders in the project. During this process we will help the client define a business plan and carry out ROI analysis.
Project Planning
Once the specification has been agreed and signed off a project plan will be created by the project manager. The project plan will have within it key milestones such as dates of software releases. A software release is a deliverable - i.e. A version of the system/application for the client to review. In a typical project we may deliver two or three releases mid way through the development programme.
At this stage roles will be assigned within Enable for development director, and individual developers. The project plan is sent to the client and the project manager talks them through it.
Development
Subject to the client's acceptance and agreement to the project plan, development work begins. We keep the client informed with progress updates on a regular basis.
Testing + Change Management
At regular points throughout the project as defined in the project plan, a release will be made. This is reviewed by the client during acceptance testing sessions. Change requests usually result from this acceptance testing, which means we go back to the Development step and continue developing. See sections below on testing, and change management.
Once a release has been made that meets the specification, the project will be signed off by the client. At this stage Documentation and Training can be prepared.
Once the project has been signed off by the client, the project can go live.
Types of Testing
There are three levels of testing as follows:
- Developer testing - The Developers working on the project build testing into their daily process. The testing they perform is at a technical level. For instance, it is their job to minimise the risk of error messages appearing on the system/application, or the system crashing.
- Business user testing - The development director and project manager undertake regular business user testing. This is a series of tests to ensure that the functionality of the system / application is in-line with the requirements and the specification.
- Client acceptance testing - Client acceptance testing is undertaken by you to ensure that you are happy with the use/operation of the system/application, and that it meets the original requirements.
Change Management Process
Once a release has been made to the client, they have the opportunity to check it over. Invariably there will be a number of requests that arise, that result in further development work being scheduled. The reasons for change requests may include the following:
- Extra features required.
- Ideas on how it could be improved.
- Problems / bugs that need to be addressed.
- Misinterpretation of requirements.
Each change request is sent to the project manager. The project manager will then work through each change request and decide whether it can be accommodated within the existing project and quote, or whether it falls outside the scope of that project (i.e. it is different to what was requested in the project specification).
The project manager will respond formally with quotations for items that are deemed to fall outside the specification, and the client is then able to choose which change requests they wish to proceed with.
Learn more.