Discovery

Overlapping Consulting, Discovery is the specific process of gaining a thorough understanding of what you need to happen.  How should the system function and who needs to see what and when?

This includes understanding of the underlying data structure as it is currently and how it might need to change.  What parts of existing systems do we want to preserve and which parts are obsolete and what new things should be added?

Project Plan

Developing a solid project plan is critical to the success of any development project.  Following the scope of work helps keep the developer on track as well as the client.

A well written Project Plan of Scope of Work will include:

  1. The purpose of the project
  2. Methodology – what tools will be utilized
  3. What specific things need to be included
  4. Specific structure including lists, libraries, fields and data structure
  5. Timeline – in general if all goes well with contingencies if needed

Development

So far we’ve discussed what the client wants, described how we plan to get there, and now it’s time to do it.  This is the actual construction of the various components.

Step 1 is the data structure and relationship map for the system.  We’ve already described all of the data that needs to be included and now we build the structure to hold it.

Step 2 is to add in all of the lists libraries and 3rd party components that’ll be needed.

Step 3 is to tie it all together with workflows, alerts, triggers and approvals.  Included in this step may be Power BI Dashboards and other navigational elements.  Whatever is needed to make the system function (processes) and to make it functional for the end user (navigation).

QA and Testing

Now that the system or systems have been developed it is time to insure they do what they were intended to do with no errors.

Depending on the complexity this can be a simple process of the developer reviewing the system with the client or it can be more elaborate with test users assigned different roles and reporting back on their findings.  At the highest level subject the system to 3rd party testing companies which again requires additional documentation and effort.

Overall insuring that the system works as expected is a critical element to the overall development process.

Deployment

Setting the time and date for the final step, deploying the app or system.  This may take several forms but overall the people involved need to be trained.  Once the users are trained there is usually a cutover point at which time the new is used instead of the old.

Deployment also often involves change management, making people that will use the system comfortable, finding the early adopters and offering incentives to them to be champions for the new system, and having buy in from the top down.

Ongoing Maintenance & Support

Any system needs support and maintenance, Lynch Interactive is a one stop resource for that support.  We work with clients from end to end, and we know more about the systems we build than any IT department ever could.

Support may be for new users with questions, data that is erroneously entered or deleted and any number of situations on a daily usage basis.  Over time people also think of new things they want added, or modifications to existing forms and layouts.  All of this is covered under support and maintenance agreements.