E-ware has a very interactive process that we follow for every project that relies on a high level of client involvement. We have found that this approach helps to ensure that we understand your requirements fully and that you have an understanding of what will be delivered. Our clients are involved in every step of the process from the discovery phase to deployment. Each project is typically divided into the phases depicted to the left.

During this phase, we are there to listen to your organization and learn about your objectives. We will ask about your goals and objectives, gather information about your existing/planned IT infrastructures, and gain an insight of current challenges. After this meeting, we can determine if our skill set is a good match for your organization and project.

We are a strong proponent of documentation; it helps to solidify requirements and allows us to demonstrate that we have a thorough understanding of your organization’s needs. Additionally, the documentation becomes a blueprint for our development efforts and a means of evaluating our products upon delivery. The extent of documentation will vary depending on the size and complexity of a project, but typically includes a Functional Description and Design Documents.

This document is our opportunity to demonstrate that we have an in-depth understanding of your organization’s needs. In preparing this document, we will meet with various individuals that will have a direct and indirect effect on the project. We need to understand your organization’s hardships, how you function, and how you want to function. Our expertise will allow us to offer suggestions and insights for discussions and offer alternatives that you might not have considered. We will conclude with a document that describes your application at a high-level. We will explain the various functions contained within the application, organized into the different modules that will become the application’s framework.

The Design Specifications will take the modules from the Functional Description and provide even further detail on how they will operate and interact. These specifications will include descriptions of how your unique business logic and rules will be applied and provide sufficient detail so that you can be assured the application’s design will meet your needs. Often, for large or complex project, mock-ups will be included so that you can start to get a feel for how the application will look and operate.

Just because we are busy building your application, we don't stop interacting with your organization. As development progresses, we may prototype different parts of the system in order to get your feedback. We strive to develop user-friendly applications that are easy to use and intuitive, but we rely on actual user feedback to ensure our designs are efficient and meet our clients’ needs. We will often provide (limited functional) modules for users to test and evaluate. User comments and reactions will be taken into consideration throughout the remainder of the development cycle.

Testing starts almost as soon as development begins. Developer-based testing on small components is done throughout our development process. As the application progresses, unit-level testing will occur between various modules to ensure they are communicating and operating as expected. Finally, system-wide testing is conducted with specific test case scenarios. Once we are satisfied with our system-wide testing, we will begin either beta testing with the client, or, when applicable, participate in a formal client testing cycle with structured release dates. Regardless of the testing methodology, we work closely with your organization to identify any potential issues and rectify them before the application enters into production.

Depending on your organization’s needs, deployment can range from our staff installing your application to participating in an enterprise-wide system rollout that adheres to a formal release schedule defined by your organization. Our goal is to integrate into your IT infrastructure without impeding your operation. We are extremely flexible and will work closely with your organization to ensure a smooth deployment experience.

All projects are evaluated and judged as to whether they have met the stated goals and objectives. This evaluation is a direct reflection on our ability to understand your organization’s needs, reiterate that understanding to you, translate it into a working application, and deliver it on-time and within budget. If this has been accomplished, we have a successful project.