Our goal is not simply to deliver transactional client-server or web applications, but to create success for our clients by implementing a development process that is understandable and repeatable. With every Collaborative Information Solutions(CIS) team member having at least 13 years of corporate experience in areas of GIS(ESRI and MapInfo), Engineering, Autocad, Java, Microsoft and Oracle. CIS has established a methodology for rapid design, development, and delivery that is second to none. Our approach is born of vast experience with many of the world's leading corporations and government agencies, and continues to evolve to reflect new developments in the business and technology marketplace.

The members of our project development team will work hard to assure that all stakeholders in the project - including management, users and technical staff -- gain a complete understanding of the technology and its underlying principles. In addition, our component architectures and development environments allow for rapid refinement and upgrade. So CIS delivers the application you need, and the power to make it even better -- because we�ll make sure you have the skills, the tools, and the understanding to refine your application in response to changing markets and technologies.

Throughout the four stages of our process - Discovery, Design, Construction and Deployment - CIS provides incremental deliverables, checkpoints, and acceptance events to foster healthy communication with our clients. Starting with our baseline methodology outlined here, we customize the process to accommodate the unique needs of each client and project.

Fundamental to CIS�s philosophy is the careful segmentation of large projects into phases that can be deployed incrementally. We find that this process:

• Enhances project focus.
• Improves efficiency.
• Provides more opportunities to adjust requirements, designs, and standards to meet real-world considerations.

Discovery

CIS begins the process of understanding the client organization, its industry, and its information requirements with a Needs Assessment, which typically consists of a visit to the client site and follow-up report.

• During the Assessment, CIS defines the scope of the project by identifying the business and technical requirements. In addition, the business case is outlined, stakeholder groups are identified and the project is planned in terms of tasks, effort and duration.

Design

CIS Design process includes several key tasks:

• Establish Prototype Tools And Guidelines for the user interface and code.
• Assess the current technology infrastructure and develop a plan for revisions based on current status and anticipated needs.
• Develop a complete prototype with a working model.
• Establish the development environment tools and guidelines, and develop a complete, representative slice of the application.
• Create Test Plans for all software modules, database failure and recovery procedures, and software integration.

Transition from Design to Constructions at the end of Visualization is marked by presentation of the design documents and updated Project Plan, and official acceptance by the stakeholders.

Construction

Our software development life cycle uses the Microsoft Solution�s Framework. Insisting that small development teams, milestones with manageable work loads and feedback from peers and management ensures a product on time delivered to specifications meeting user�s needs as indicated in our application description.

Several concurrent activities occur during Construction:

• Instantiation is completed, allowing a working model to be built. Breaking the process into Instantiation and Propagation provides the flexibility necessary to deploy incrementally.
• Data Transformation Analysis and Implementation are important for applications that rely on incorporating existing and outside sources of data.
• Transition Planning includes scheduling system rollout, ensuring hardware and software will be in place, and finalizing user and administrator training plans.
• Testing occurs on several levels as the application development progresses. Developers check their individual work, the Quality Assurance team develops and executes test suites against integrated modules, and stakeholders review the application for completeness, accuracy, and ease of use.
• Writing the User and Administration Documentation begins in this stage.

Acceptance of the Construction deliverables marks the transition to Deployment.

The length and structure of Deployment varies significantly from project to project, depending on the application architecture and the landscape of the production environment.

• During Transition, CIS and the Stakeholders perform final integration testing, and CIS provides training for end-users and application administrators.
• For applications with legacy data, Deployment for our Client begins with the execution of a carefully rehearsed data conversion process. To ensure continuous business operations throughout the data conversion process, contingency plans are created in advance, and ready to deploy if necessary.
• Maintenance concludes the Deployment stage, beginning as the tested application is installed in the production environment.