Life Cycle of  Development Process

A properly developed application has a specific set of stages in its lifecycle that it must go through.  This lifecycle assures that the small oversights and/or omissions, that can mean the difference between the success and failure of a project, are not overlooked.

Six basic stages occur within a project lifecycle.  They are Discovery, Define, Develop, Debug, Deliver and Maintain.  Each of these stages are documented, creating a final overview of the application that can act as a Users Outline and Program Guide.

Proper communication and documentation throughout the project gives the developer and the client clear and concise information ensuring that there are no miscommunications or misunderstandings.  The documentation of each stage must be fully accepted and understood before progressing to the next stage.

The length of time spent on each stage is entirely flexible.  The speed of acquiring information, reaching acceptable decisions or compromises, and the availability of internal resources all weigh heavily on the time required.

The following outline references the events and procedures during each stage of the project lifecycle.

Discovery

During the Discovery stage, the business and planning procedures are examined and applied to the currently available technologies.  The stage also itemizes concerns and wishes regarding the custom application and its functions.  This stage would require the most interaction between the development team and the client, as well as the most allocation of resources of the client to the development team.  A key member of the client organization should be selected to be chairperson and act as an intermediary for client and development concerns.

Design

The Design stage allows the development team to use the information gathered in the Discovery stage and produce a document outlining the application’s features and procedures.  This document will serve as the roadmap for the Develop stage of the project.  This document is created closely with the client chairperson selected during the Discovery stage.

Develop

Once the Design document has been accepted, the Develop stage will progress.  This stage is typically the longest and requires the least amount of client resources.  All applications and routines outlined in the Design document are written to create the final application.

Debug

The Debug stage is the final stage of the development process.  This stage, after the Discovery stage, requires the most combined resources of the development and client resources.  This stage can typically intensify the success or failure of the project.  Strict control of bug reporting and reparations with a complete reporting mechanism  will be maintained in a controlled environment.  There is an exact science that is involved in the Debug stage.

Deliver

This is the first Post-Development stage of the development process.  All applications are complete and the stage is now set for a tiered delivery of the custom application.

Maintain

This is the final Post-Development stage of the development process.  Typically a long term maintenance contract is arranged allowing for adjustments and possible further development of the application.  This stage analyses the project as a whole and highlights any deficiencies that need to be addressed during a second stage or interim adjustments.

Milestones and Key Events

Each stage of the development cycle has Milestones and key events that must occur in order to move on to the next stage.  Each of these events are documented and included in the final reports.  Each project has its own unique set of events and the following list is an example of some of the possibilities.

Reference Accounts

The following is a partial list of training customers