Solution Roll-out
A typical solution involves a specification phase:
- Pre-sales business matching and consultation
- Purchase Order Issued to commence with specification phase
- Capturing of functional and non-functional requirements. Typically, functional requirements are expressed as Use Cases, while other requirements and constraints are expressed in point form
- Development of a site-map. This will cover all the options and actions that system users may perform, and will flow on from the functional requirements. This consists of pages (or screens) and the linkages between them, with boundaries indicating areas which are restricted to certain classes of user for example
- Once these elements are defined, the project can usually be broken down into sub-projects, each one contributing to the outputs defined in the project. The dependencies of these sub-projects can be used to develop a timeline and order for development. Each sub-project typically provides an input into the next one.
- A degree of risk or difficulty can be attached to each sub-project, which should lead to the most difficult ones being done first if possible. Similarly it should be possible to determine any dependencies these sub-projects have on external inputs, which affect the timelines.
- Each sub-project may have different staffing and resource requirements, which can lead to scheduling delays, but also the possibility of doing some sub-projects concurrently.
- Each sub-project is kept to a short-duration (1 to 3 weeks), and each completed in a similar fashion to the project overall, with an increasing drilling-down of requirements and implementation.
Design Phase:
- Produce wireframe art of each significantly different page or area within a site or system
- Test wireframes against focus groups or use external usability agency
- Based on site-map developed in initial stage, develop ideas for navigational elements
- Typically these design elements form the input to a sub-project that results in coding of a website shell which is later made functional and dynamic in response to user input and actions
- The graphic design processes are especially sensitive to input from the project owner with regards to supplying images, logos, photos and other content. An inability to provide these resources can stall this sub-project.
- Present a draft concept of the website main page to the project owner, which is revised during the time allocated to this stage until the owner is satisfied. Apply similar design elements to sub-pages
- Test concepts against focus groups or external usability agency
- Liaise with the project owner to develop artwork that is consistent with any existing corporate branding and identity elements. This presence must be consistent with target-audience requirements
- Produce all finished art aspects such that development may commence
- Create an implementation manual / guide for development teams
Development Phase:
- Commence creation of interface and framework
- Produce UML sequence diagrams for anything more than trivial functional interactions. A similar logic is applied to generating state-chart diagrams. These begin the first stages of tying together the classes identified at the beginning, and highlights classes which may need to be broken down further, classes that can be combined, and new utility classes which can support the main classes
- If team members are satisfied that the updated classes can meet all functional requirements, begin code development. We usually try and develop Unit Tests simultaneously with code development.
- Conduct a review of this iteration and adjust the plan for the next iteration accordingly, or the project plan overall if necessary.
- The break-down into sub-projects aims to provide a clear path to installation, integration and training (if needed) for the finished outputs. These are normally sub-projects in their own right. At the completion of the last sub-project, the whole project is considered complete.
Testing Phase:
Future Medium employ a web-based bug-tracking system which can be opened for client access. This system allows notification of new issues, and their subsequent resolution.
To maintain the integrity of the development process, all team members utilise Microsoft Visual SourceSafe for code versioning and access control
We employ dedicated Windows 2000 and Linux (Red Hat Enterprise Server 3) development servers (with a Solaris machine about to come on-line). This enables us to closely match most final deployment environments, and to minimise any integration issues. Similarly, we have Oracle, SQL Server and MySQL available for testing database access
We test for presentation and operation of our solutions on both Windows and Macintosh platforms using a variety of web browsers.
Training:
Future Medium considers end-user support to be absolutely critical to the success of the project, our clients and our business as a whole.
Support services for a typical project include:
- Web-based support resources within autopublish (both help systems and online support request features)
- Telephone support for non documented issues
- Application updates to the autopublish CMS product
Future Medium support services are maintained whilst an active autopublish license is held.
Future Medium can provide editable copies of user guides and help files which clients can customise to include in their own specific business processes.
Future Medium supply user training on how to use autopublish and or any custom development work that has been conducted. Training is achieved via an in-person or an online training environment in conjunction with a phone tutorial in either a generic autopublish site implementation or your specific project implementation of the product.
For training purposes, if applicable, your tutorial may be conducted on a demo version of your website in a development only environment such that content is not edited in a live environment and is carried out at a hidden location.
Deployment:
After successful training sessions the relevant copywriters are assigned to fill the site framework such that it can be tested prior to launch with real content.
Upon strict written instruction from the project owner the site is scheduled for deployment to a live web server.
