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Our process model consists of four
phases: envisioning, planning, developing, and
stabilization. Each phase culminates in a major
milestone. Our process model differs from traditional
development models in the following ways:
Milestones are customer-oriented,
rather than development-oriented. Each milestone
is a synchronization point where the team is
recalibrated to the intended expectations. Milestones
are managed using the known tradeoffs of resources,
features, and schedule.
Our model uses versioned releases,
rather than including every feature the first
time. With rapid changes in technology, versioned
releases allow businesses to rapidly leverage
their investments in computing environments.
This process model produces better
decisions, less rework, higher morale, and a
higher quality product. And, by addressing support
and performance issues as part of the development
process, it can lower the risk of rolling out
new solutions and lower the cost of ownership.
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Envisioning |
Envisioning provides the ability
to objectively look at your organization and produce
a vision document. This prevents investing significant
effort on minor needs and focusing on existing
processes.
Drawing on Syntergy’s expertise,
we bring open thinking that addresses the most
visible current need, as well as discovering
the issues that cause that need. Syntergy will
apply our best practices to those issues and
provide the most efficient approach while identifying
potential issues that your business may face
in the future.
The envisioning phase culminates
in the vision/scope approved milestone. Once
a new product (or in the case of infrastructure
deployment, a new service) gains interest and
approval, a project team is assembled to define
the product. A vision statement articulates the
ultimate goals for the product or service and
provides clear direction. Scope is the opposite
of vision: It defines the limits for a particular
version of the product or service, recognizing
that further development may come in future versions.
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Planning |
The Planning Phase Syntergy’s
definition of planning is when you and your team
agree on what to deliver, and how to build it.
This is an important opportunity to reassess risk,
establish priorities, and finalize estimates for
schedule and resources.
Syntergy has multiple ways of
providing support for the resource schedule,
such as:
- Turn
key. We can outsource the entire development
of the project.
- Advisory. We
can provide management and key direction in
the envisioning and planning phases
- Validator. We
can review your plans at the planning phases
and provide Quality Assurance support during
stabilization.
- Key
personnel to enhance your team. We
can provide individuals as necessary with
appropriate expertise can be provided on
or off site in any of the phases.
- Subscription
services. We can make personnel available
remotely via e-mail and phone to answer technical
questions
The planning phase culminates in
the project plan approved milestone. The project
plan contains the functional specification—the
combined plans of each team member as defined
in the team model—and a schedule. The functional
specification provides the project team with
enough detail to identify resource requirements
and make commitments.
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Developing |
The developing phase culminates
in the scope-complete/first-use milestone. An approved
functional specification and associated project
plan provide the baseline for focused development
to begin. The development team sets a number of
interim delivery milestones, each of which involves
a full test, debug, then fix cycle.
At this milestone, customers and
team assess the product’s functionality
and verify that rollout and support plans are
in place. All new development is complete, and
deferred functionality is documented for the
next release.
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Stabilization |
Stabilization requires a change
in focus from the creativity of finding elegant
development solutions to the rigid operational
requirements of thorough and complete testing.
The stabilization phase culminates
in the release milestone. Testing activities
are performed concurrently with code development.
During the stabilization phase, these activities
take center stage as bug finding and fixing become
the primary focus. At this milestone, the team
formally turns over the product to the operations
and support groups. Typically, the project team
either begins work on the next release or disperses
to other development projects.
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