Project Methodology
At SIMSYS, our project management methodology can be summarized as a four-phase process with the emphasis of working closely with the client. At the end of each phase SIMSYS produces a set of defined deliverables for client acceptance. This process ensures that the solution meets with the client’s expectations at every stage of its development and stays within budget
Our project management team is responsible for managing this iterative delivery model and possesses a hybrid set of skills across our competencies. The four project management phases are:
Conceive and Define
During the first phase, Define, the project team evaluates the client’s market segment in which the client competes and gains an understanding of its business goals, business needs, market position and assesses its operating and technical environment. The goal is to collect system and process requirements to develop a baseline for the architecture and design plan. It also assists us to establish the budget for the project and create a work plan that identifies the work that needs to be done, outlining tasks, deliverables and key milestones. A definition of how the success of the project will be measured is also documented.
Architect
The goal of the Architect phase is to create a plan with specificity and completeness of coverage so that systems for the client can be constructed, tested, and implemented on time and within budget. Building on the information obtained in define phase, the project team defines system functionality, process flows, systems architecture, user interface, data requirements, technical blueprint and content specifications. At the conclusion of the Architect phase, the project team will define a proposed solution to the client’s business needs and a detailed plan to develop and implement the solution. The plan also outlines specific Internet solutions and their benefits. This phase generally has four parts:
Business Requirements Definition.
Requirements are refined through successive iterations with end-users.
Creative Design.
Content and information for the solution are defined and organised. The look and feel of the solution is designed in a series of detailed site flow compositions that show links, navigation and page content.
Technical Architecture.
The technical, application and data architectures of the solution are documented, addressing the requirements for hardware, software and networks, data bases and third party products.
Specification and Prototype Development.
Rapid prototype is used to develop parts of the solution. A visual prototype is used to define page style, layout, information architecture and navigation. Functional prototypes are used to test complex processing requirements and the effectiveness of the applications and data architectures. This iterative process allows the client to review and refine the application as it takes shape during the development process.
Implement
Implementation primarily involves the development and testing of a new software application, or customization of an existing third-party application or SIMSYS application framework, to meet the client’s needs identified during the Design phase. A SIMSYS project manager and a solution architect manage the development team. The project manager tracks the progress of the implementation on a daily basis and senior management reviews each project’s progress on a weekly basis by analyzing its expected time to completion as compared to previous estimates.
Throughout the Implementation phase, SIMSYS and the client work closely to ensure the client’s business needs are met. In the event there are changes in the scope of the project resulting from a change in the client’s needs, any adjustments to the fixed price, fixed timeframe parameters are negotiated in advance in order to implement the change.
Finally, we rigorously test the developed solution to ensure that the system meets all functional requirements, design specifications and performs as expected. Testing is performed across multiple browsers and environments to ensure uniform accessibility. Once the systems have successfully met these requirements and the client gives final approval of the developed solution, they’re ready to be deployed. As part of the final delivery process, the Company ensures that the client understands how to use and maintains the product through client training and maintenance documentation.
Enhance
The completion of Implement is the start of a new beginning. A system once implemented needs to be continuously enhanced to meet changing business needs and leverage on new technologies. This process of re-innovation will bring about changes to the running system and the project cycle starts again.
On top of the process, SIMSYS’s project managers adhere to six guiding principles, as depicted in the diagram below, to ensure the success of every project:
Typical IT Project Life Cycle at SIMSYS
We believe in detailed and comprehensive IT Project Delivery. We understand the importance of professional Project Management Services besides Implementation. Our Project Management Services include:
- Detailed and well defined requirement gathering
- Proper Documentation from Requirement Specifications and System Design Specifications
- Complete support documentation such as Meeting Minutes and Project Reports
Here are some key activities/deliverables you can expect from our projects.
- Requirements Solution Proposals – An IT Solution Proposal from our consultants that is designed and tailored to meet your requirements.
- System Architectural Designs – A Detailed Technical Documentation that describes the final desired Environment Architecture.
- Project Requirements Gathering – A detailed process of collecting and documenting user requirements for client approval before actual implementations.
- Project Documentation – A detailed set of documents that capture all aspects of the project such as Project Plan, System Requirements Specifications, and User Guides.
- Project Management – Professional Management of your project through a comprehensive set of Project Development Methodologies and Software Development Life Cycles to ensure the professional delivery of IT projects.
- Infrastructure Installation and Deployment – On-site professional installation, Setup and Configuration of Environment Elements such as Hardware Equipment, Servers and Networks.
- Solution Development and Deployment – Development of your solutions in our Development House and on our Development Servers. During this activity, we invite clients to review our developments and provide feedback so that we may tweak the solution to their needs.
- Integration Testing and User Acceptance Testing – A comprehensive set of tests by client users based on the user requirements to ensure the quality of our developed solutions.
- System Installation, Setup and Configuration and Integrated Testing – After a successfully completed User Testing, our team of System Engineers and Developers will then install the solution into your environment and perform all necessary setups and configurations for an integrated test.
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