Our Approach to Databases

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Your new database application will be based entirely on the detailed planning work that is completed prior to any development taking place. This is essential to ensure all parties have a firm understanding on how the end product will function, and to avoid any problems through changes mid way during the programming.

Initial Fact Finding

Following a set of meetings to gain an understanding of the problems you are facing and how a database application can solve these, an initial proposal is presented. In this document, we will outline the key features that we expect the system to deliver and an estimate of time scales and development costs.

Detailed Understanding your Requirements

Before a single line of code is written or the database is constructed your system requirements are discussed and visually mapped out. We will visit you to begin the requirements gathering process. Dependent on the complexity of the system this process could span several weeks including multiple visits to liaise with staff.

During these visits, key staff within your organisation are asked to spend time assisting us to understand precisely what your database solution needs to accomplish. Through these discussions, we develop a more detailed understanding of the issues you face, ask questions and help devise the best solution to meet your challenges.

On completion of our visits, we will collate the information we have gained from you, resulting in a specification document and demonstration pages that describes how the system will function.

We will ask you to read this document carefully and confirm that it meets your requirements fully. If any modifications are required, these will be applied before the document is reissued. Such is the importance of this document that an unlimited number of iterations will be provided at no extra cost until you are satisfied that all functionality is covered.

We ask that all pages of this document are signed to confirm agreement. The development stage of the project is then ready to proceed.

After the requirement analysis is completed, and while we're creating the specification, it is quite common for additional features not considered during the proposal phase to be requested. Equally, you may decide not to include some elements. Our estimations take this likelihood into account so any price amendments are unlikely, but may occur. Any increase or reduction in the cost of the project will be agreed at this stage before the specification is signed off.

Programming

At this stage our programming team will turn the agreed system requirements into a fully working program. Being a web based application, we are able to provide you with regular updates and demonstrations of the software as we progress through the build.

Quality Assurance & Testing

Extensive testing and quality assurance processes are used to test all code and design aspects throughout the development.

Once the application has been completed, a final round of testing both by ourselves and by end users will begin. This user testing is invaluable in testing the robustness of the system in the hands of the people that will be using it day-to-day.

Training and Support

Our systems are always designed so that the human interface is simple and intuitive so formal staff training is reduced, but we carry out onsite training so all staff using the system are fully conversant on how to use the program.

Once the program is installed we offer full support in the unlikely event of any problems.

If you would like to discuss our database design services, please contact us to discuss your requirements in more detail