Our method.
All engagements follow the same four steps, and a written deliverable
closes each of them.
You know at any moment where the project
stands and what was decided.
Scoping
The actual need comes before the solution. The difficult questions are asked at this stage: what problem, for whom, under which constraints, and what will remain out of scope.
- Scoping interviews with the people concerned
- Scoping note: problem, perimeter, constraints, exclusions
- Firm estimate and schedule on the scoped perimeter
Design
The architecture delimits each component's responsibilities, and the technical choices are justified in writing, discarded alternatives included.
- Design dossier: architecture, data, interfaces
- Reasoned technical choices, discarded alternatives documented
- Mock-ups or prototypes when the interface warrants them
Build
Code is delivered by milestone and tested at every step. A line delivered will have to be maintained for years; the superfluous is discarded outright.
- Milestone-based deliveries, testable at every step
- Code review and automated tests on critical paths
- Joint acceptance against criteria set at scoping
Operate
Systems are designed for the real environment: outages, version upgrades, regulatory change, growing volume. Maintenance is defined by contract.
- Operations documentation and knowledge transfer
- Monitoring, backups and security updates
- Maintenance commitment defined by contract, with no forced dependency
What we refuse to do
Growing the scope mid-project without re-scoping. A new need is legitimate. It receives its own scoping and its own estimate, separate from the milestone under way.
Shipping technical debt dressed up as time saved. When a shortcut is taken, it is documented, dated and paired with a repayment plan.
Locking the client in. The source code, the documentation and the infrastructure are transferable. You remain free to hand the work to another team.
Does this way of working suit you?
Describe your project: scoping starts with the very first exchange.