1. it starts with a call
There is only so much information you can get from the Internet and most of it will probably make you feel less likely to want to carry on! Almost all of our clients are non-technical, that isn’t to say they don’t know what they want, but they are not software developers. They are business people, business owners, entrepreneurs, managers, people with ideas and the best way to start is for you to call us.
We can talk through your ideas on the phone and give you our initial impressions – to date we have never heard a bad idea, some slightly crazy ones, but never a bad one! So don’t be afraid to talk to us about what you are thinking.
2. read our information pack
Once we have talked through some of your initial ideas we will send you one of our information packs that contains all manner of useful guides and articles to help you learn more about the process of software development. Don’t worry, these are not highly technical, we do know who your clients are! They do however provide a great way to learn some simple concepts and processes which we think will really help you in the long term.
3. will the plan together
A face to face meeting is always the best way to communicate however we're equally as acustomed to working via telephone, email and video conferencing. You tell us how your solution should look and feel and tell us, if you know, what technology constraints and priorities drive your project.
4. formulate a proposal
By now we will have enough information to put together a formal proposal for you, this will include our design thoughts, ideas on the way the software will work and an indication of the cost and timescale. Sometimes we may be able to give you some basic indications of time and costs when we first talk, but this proposal will be far more detailed and useful.
5. talk again
It never seems to amaze us how many times we find ourselves having to chase up potential clients – was it something we said?! You may have some questions about the design, you may think the costs were higher (or lower) than you were expecting, you may think we have missed something or perhaps included something that wasn’t necessary.
We can’t help you if you don’t help us! We need to talk again and work through any issues you may have, please don’t be afraid to talk to us – we won’t bite your head off! If we can’t meet your requirements then we will stop here, wish you all the best with your project and leave you with our contact details – you never know when you may change your mind.
Hopefully we will have proven to you that we are the software developers to work with and we can move onto the next stage.
6. sign contracts and arrange funding
Although we have a relaxed approach to meeting and working with clients we like to make sure everything is clearly defined before we start. A successful project needs commitment from both sides! We want you to be clear of exactly what we are to do for you and of course what you are to do for us – pretty simple really.
7. the 3 day design event
Over the years we have learnt that the best way to produce great software is to get everyone creatively involved in the project together for a few days and see what we can come up with. The occasional meeting here and there only ends up producing software that largely misses the brief and seems to take a very long time to put together.
We invite all clients to come and spend 3 days with us at one of our offices; we will pay for your hotel and look after you as our guests. In that time we will work together to produce a more detailed version of the original software proposal. We will show you how great software is produced, discuss the graphic design elements of the project, and look into usability and function.
This event is something that will have a really beneficial impact on the project and we find that this is one of the most important aspects of the project. It also has the advantage of reducing the need for some other meetings later on as well as reducing the errors due to misunderstandings that can arise early in a project.
8. prototyping
We find that producing a prototype of the application early on is a great way to show the client that the project they trust us with is in safe hands. It is a great way to test early reactions to the design and to ensure that everyone is happy with the look and feel as well as the functionality.
9. development process
We now start to build the real product. You will be kept updated on a regular basis, typically every day, and will normally be able to test the software when you are updated as well. This is a great way to show clients that the development is progressing to plan and the design is turning out as envisaged.
10. test
This is one of the most important steps in the whole process. If you do not test thoroughly then all the hard work and effort put in during the design and build phases is wasted. We spend a large amount of time testing and changing the code to ensure that when the software is delivered you can have the confidence that it will meet your expectations.
11. completion and handover
Once the software is finished we will hand it over to you and assist in the installation process if applicable. We are also more than happy to help you with training and we will help you host training if needed as well. We have access to first class facilities which are ideal for product launches and training events.