Smith Consulting should first consider and understand the reasoning for this and apply it to acquire the ultimate from them and deliver to their customers. Smith Consulting has an obligation to maintain and provide proper documentation, not only because It is required but to aid in the development process. The Systems Development and Life Cycle (OSDL) is a methodology used in the development process successfully by employing phases. There are the planning, analysis, design, and Implementation Involved In the process and revisits to the various phases.
This is an orderly and manageable method of development, however, as the industry has expanded and learned from mistakes there are other alternatives available. The classical OSDL can take up from three to five years to complete; the rapid evolution of technology can prove to be a costly process for organizations. Other methods such as ‘Agile Methodology have proven to be beneficial In the development process still using the classical OSDL phases In the process. Prototyping is another methodology used when acceptable as well as ‘Rapid Application Development’ (RADAR) on larger scale projects.
Knowing which theology to use and when to use It will prove to be the deference In a successful project or one that fails. Sac’s current documentation processes include creating a software design for each client. This software design sets the basis for each project and Includes text and diagram documentation. Documentation One set of documentation included in the design documentation is the system requirements analysis (SARA). SEC creates this documentation by conducting meetings with their customers.
Based upon the stakeholders’ understanding of the problem, the SARA divides the problem into distinct requirements, defined, reviewed, and greed upon by the decision-makers (NYSE, n. D. )_ Another set of documentation included by SEC in the Software design is the system design documents (SAD). This set of documentation includes use cases, an overview of the design, data design, models, assumptions. And constraints. This documentation Includes diagrams that depict data flow, sequence, state, and physical architecture of the project (Macerate, 2007). SEC also provides their clients with testing, maintenance, and training documents.
The testing documentation details the process behind the testing, test plan, test cases, and the outcome of the testing. The maintenance documentation describes the functions and physical components of the completed project result. It solutions to possible problems. The training documents details what parts of the new system or software included in the training. Training documents detail the timeline for training, training methods, and information used during training sessions. Occasionally, a company may elect to use a different software methodology.
In the event that the proposed methodology does not produce satisfactory results, or the project requires a necessary expansion, Smith Consulting is prepared to consider sing alternative development methods. Guidelines to consider when determining if an alternative development method is necessary are as follows: Maintainability -the ease with which corrections can be made to respond to recognized inadequacies Correctness – strict adherence to specified requirements Risibility- the error free performance of software over time Adaptability- the ease with which software can accommodate change (Abrade, Eric 2010).
Before implementing an alternative methodology, the project Team will affirm that Smith Consulting is comfortable with the transition. Additionally, the project team must ensure that the necessary resources are present to sufficiently address the methodology tools, characteristics, and techniques, to manage the effort to successful completion. In addition to alternative development methods, the OSDL offers a way to manage a sequential series of tasks in a logical manner. One shortfall of the traditional OSDL, however, is that the potential risks associated with a project may not be fully controlled when its tasks are completed sequentially.
The iterative, modified, and spiral OSDL methodologies are development techniques that address any of the Scud’s drawbacks. Through iteration, a project manager may address each party’s needs, including designers, security administrators, end users, system technicians, and developers, throughout the life cycle of the project. Also, project managers are able to go through the process of completing, reviewing, and revising various phase activities until the desired results, or phase deliverables, are reached APT Integrity (2013).
Smith Consulting Firm is broad to many type of projects that has different situation and events that client is asking for in a company. The firm does not believe n a “one size fit all solution” concept of sticking to one model and it accommodate all services. There are different process model that our firm use. Although, there are many process models, Waterfall model, Agile model, Open Source Model and Spiral Model are processes that are prominent with Smith Consulting Firm. The waterfall process model is a process that has a life cycle in linear-sequence that is simple to comprehend.
The process in this model has different phases that must be fully completed before moving on to the next one. As each phase is completed there is a review that takes place to determine that the project is on the eight path. (“What Is Waterfall Model- Advantages, Disadvantages And When To Use It? “, n. D. ) The Agile model process is incremental models which develop in a rapid cycle. The result of this small increment releases another build from the previous functionality. As each release is made, testing is made thoroughly to ensure the quality of the software is maintained. “What Is Agile Model- Advantages, The Open-Source model is a process wherein a project was typically started by someone that develops an application. The source code is then posted in a host website where it is freely accessible to anyone that would like to use it for their application. The Spiral model is a process of combining design and prototyping in different stages. There are phases in this model that starts with a design goal and then ends with the client reviewing and analyzing the progress of the project.
In the past Smith consulting customer engagement approach has been constrained in an effort to limit demand on the customer. What occurred from this was a lack of customer input leading to the project and development being based on prior feedback instead of customer recommendations. The products were not sufficiently documented and did not meet the customer’s needs. To alleviate this issue, in the development of a frequent shopper program for Judder Fine Foods, Smith consulting will take a direct approach in its customer interaction.
The Waterfall Method, a document based software development management style, will be used to properly document customer needs early on in the project. The waterfall model is a precise method of program management where all development occurs in a specific preplanned method. It is a document driven, tightly managed process. “The waterfall model maintains that one should move too phase only when it’s proceeding phase is completed and perfected” (Princeton). The benefits of this can be seen when developing a frequent shopper program for Judder Fine Foods.
The pre-planning and scrutiny at the early staged of the method are important in their ability to identify errors early on. This reduces the overall added cost of correcting errors later in the project. Likewise, the early documentation will alleviate project creep and unexpected costs. The development of the program is set in stone. Changes are not authorized without following a pre-defined plan. Even then, they are discouraged. The customer relationship is highly important in the development of any software. In regard to the Judder Fine Food frequent shopper program this remains true.
With the project being developed by the waterfall method, the customer interaction will be much greater at the beginning of the project than at the end. Detailed documentation of what is expected and how it will be presented will be created before any code is written. The customer will approve all aspects of the project early on. During the development stage, the customer will be notified on a regular periodic basis on the status. Likewise, Judder Fine Foods will be notified at the end of each stage. Any changes to the plan will be communicated to the customer through the project manager.
