Software development services continue to grow in demand day by day. Tech trends haven’t changed much over the recent decade (AI, machine learning, data analytics and visualization, voice and image recognition, etc.); however, IT solutions are more a necessity than just a way to optimize business processes.
Computools understands that IT solutions help organizations reach business goals, and that those goals vary by country, region, industry, and niche: reduce employee workload, monitor income and expenses, enhance customer relationships, manage stock and inventory, etc. Each project at Computools goes through multiple stages until a software solution is completed and delivered to the market.
Keep reading to learn more about how Computools approaches project development.
What is the Project Lifecycle at Computools?
1. Analysis Stage
When Computools starts working on an IT solution, the first objective is to determine your business needs. It usually takes a few calls to study your business model and identify weaknesses and bottlenecks that your new software is going to fix.
At this stage, Computools gathers all domain-related information and draws up a mind map and a basic user journey that outlines how future software will directly benefit its primary users and different stakeholders related to it.
After successful research and analysis, Computools’s Team will develop a shared vision of your IT solution to achieve your desired business goals.
2. Legal Stage
Once the general analysis has been done, Computools will discuss the legal aspects and terms of work required to develop your software.
At this stage, Computools takes into consideration a preferred software development payment model, budget, and timeline. There are different payment models and various approaches to software development.
Together, a Service Level Agreement that establishes the contractual terms and conditions for collaboration is drafted.
3. Discovery & Design Stage
All projects at Computools start with a pre-development stage (Discovery phase) that serves to analyze business scenarios of software users that are further split into smaller user journeys. The Agile framework underpinning modern software development lays the foundation of software planning.
At this point, Computools’s Business Analysts and UX/UI designers, with your guidance, create an IT solution prototype that demonstrates the basic user abilities and flows.
It’s always followed by a detailed description of software functionality in the backlog and a package of maps so that at the end of the Discovery phase, you receive the essential documentation that lets you monitor and control the development process easily.
Looking for custom business software?
Contact us →4. Development & Testing Stage
The development and testing phase is an important process for software engineering. You’re provided with a team of software professionals that understand how to build your new IT solution. Their mutual effort will impact the success of the implementation. Computools takes care of the tech talents they hire for your project.
At this stage, the Project Manager has a crucial role. They supervise the team’s work, report their progress to you regularly, and ensure that you receive deliverables according to the signed contract.
Another important process taking place at this time is software testing. QA Engineers will follow up on the team’s development to detect any imperfections and fix them timely. You personally will also be expected to test the software and provide your feedback to the Project Manager.
5. Approval Stage
There isn’t a single stage dedicated to approval during the development of an IT solution. However, procedures for product approval are done periodically throughout the entire development process.
For example, acceptance criteria are outlined for each feature included in your system’s backlog during the Discovery phase. Similarly, demo meetings are conducted for you at the end of each sprint. This approach lets Computools remain transparent.
6. Maintenance & Support Stage
The support stage is not obligatory in most projects. However, if you plan to keep improving your software solution continuously, you should consider keeping your project at Computools for long-term maintenance.
This includes keeping a certain number (depending on how big your project is) of software developers that understand your solution after you launch. These engineers will assist you in maintaining and updating the IT solution with more features.
Should you have more inquiries into how Computools delivers custom IT projects, please email us at info@computools.com.
THE AUTHOR:
Computools was selected through an RFP process. They were shortlisted and selected from between 5 other suppliers. Computools has worked thoroughly and timely to solve all security issues and launch as agreed. Their expertise is impressive.