Methodology

At Seanergy we have developed, tried and tested a methodology that breaks down projects into stages. Throughout all these stages we guarantee regular contact with the client, updating them on progress and solving problems as and when they arise. Our dedicated team will guide you through every stage of the development, taking into account the views of the people that will be using the system.

Stage 1 – Requirements Gathering

We believe that this is the most critical stage of any software development project, and pride ourselves on the attention to detail that we give at this stage. Get it right here, and the rest falls into place.

This stage, which we also refer to as the scoping study, is where your concept or vision starts to become a reality. A framework is laid out for the project by defining functional requirements, establishing the critical success factors, highlighting the business drivers and benefits and coming to an understanding on the overall project approach. At the end of this stage the client receives the following:

• System Requirement Specification (SRS)
• Requirements matrix
• High level technical architecture documentation
• High level interface and conversion plan
• High level implementation plan

Stage 2 –  Design

At this stage we work closely with the users of the application to develop a prototype based on the requirements matrix developed in stage 1. This is an iterative process that ensures usability is to the client’s satisfaction, and gives us a chance to get a good idea of the client’s aesthetic tastes. At the end of this stage the client recieves the following:

• Screen and report specifications
• Interface specification
• High level design
• In depth design documentation
• Detailed technical architecture
• Overall testing and roll-out plan

Stage 3 – Development and Testing

Throughout the development process the project manager, who will have already worked with you on the previous two stages, will keep you updated with weekly status reports. We actively encourage face to face meetings, which can either be at out offices or yours.

At Seanergy we do not believe in keeping the client in the dark, so in addition to the weekly status updates, we keep to a staged delivery plan where small software releases are handed over to the client so progress can be tracked. In order to track changes to the source code we use either CVS version control or Visual Source Safe.

Throughout this stage our test specialists get to work on the individual units and components as they are developed. This is a circular process where the test team uses comprehensive bug management techniques to highlight problems to the development team. No version is released without our team finally testing the application as a user. At the end of this stage the client recieves the following:

• Fully developed application that conforms to specifications
• Documented plans and results from the system, user and operational tests
• Updated design specifications

Stage 4 – Deployment and Knowledge Transfer

Once the development in complete we ensure rapid deployment and keep to a well defined plan. Once again we believe in face to face contact and our team will install the software onsite. This also gives us the opportunity to run through the application with end users and management and answer any questions. If the client’s own IT team are going to maintain the application, our team will spend a considerable amount of time at this stage to make sure they have the knowledge they need. At the end of this stage the client recieves the following:

• Comprehensive technical and end user documentation
• Trained client IT teams who can maintain the system independently