Our Process and Quality Assurance

Phased Approach

Bench On Demand adapts its processes to match each client’s organizational needs and the specific project requirements. Different teams work sequentially or concurrently on discrete parts of the project throughout the development process.

Establishing a phased approach allows for greater communication between everyone involved, and provides periods of review to ensure product formation is on track. We firmly believe that quality products are not obtained with testing alone, but must be supported by a sound quality process that allows the development team to efficiently identify, design and track hundreds of individual tasks to completion.

The phased approach is designed to support the entire product life cycle, from inception, design, development, and product rollout, through updates and support. Mature companies may require only a subset of our services to support a specific product objective. These contract services are an effective way to jumpstart a new business and work closely with our clients to help train and transition an internal team when it makes the most business sense.

Discovery

Development begins in the Discovery Phase. At this point, Bench On Demand clarifies the business objectives, tests the assumptions, and lays out preliminary designs and estimates. This phase includes the following:

Clarification of Business Objectives

The client describes the product vision. A specific business objective is conveyed, so team members can strive toward the spirit of the product. Marketing strategies are mapped out, including identifying target audience and market conditions in which the product will exist.

Testing of Assumptions

Focus groups tend to be a luxury most companies cannot afford. However, failing to test assumptions can prove catastrophic. Bench On Demand works with our client’s marketing team in the most cost-effective method to survey the marketplace.

Preliminary Design and Estimates

Bench On Demand assesses a general layout of the product description for consistency with the original product vision and its place in current and future market conditions. A design direction is established and affords a cost estimate to ensure the product design matches the business model. From Day One, our work will be documented in a specification that grows throughout the Discovery Phase. Your intellectual property is captured and your investment is protected.

Architecture

The Architecture phase brings the spirit of the product to life. During this phase, Quality Process defines behaviors, creates an interface, selects technologies, and designs the support infrastructure. At the completion of the Architecture Phase, BOD establishes a list of development tasks, a set of known project risks, and more specific estimates to again validate the business model. It is paramount that the system architecture be established first before development begins. This provides a conceptual framework to not only estimate costs and validate the business model, but also to prototype and test the artistic design, branding and user interface elements.

Design Behavior

This phase adds the next layer of detail to the design. Imagine your target audience using the product. What actions do they expect or require and in what order? How media rich is the experience? What features and behaviors of the interface must be developed for initial product deployment, and what aspects should be added in the future? The product now begins to take shape.

Select Technology

Bench On Demand is technically agnostic, recognizing that each technology has its advantages and disadvantages. We are experienced in a wide range of technologies and focus on always looking to the future to keep abreast with innovations in this rapidly changing industry and select the right technology for this challenge. 

Infrastructure Architecture

During this stage, all elements of the system required for deployment are listed. This includes database support, administrative interfaces, technologies to be licensed, hardware, services to be purchased and the staff skills and knowledge necessary to support it.

Design and Development

In this phase, Bench On Demand is ready to establish communication protocols, design the interface, design and develop infrastructure and begin quality assurance tests.

Team Communication

Project success is dependent on strong management through all phases, particularly the development phase. The project manager will coordinate development activities by effective use of Bench On Demand's infrastructure, process and tools. The members of each team access a secure web site and post their progress and questions for all team members to constructively evaluate and to identify items that require client direction. As part of the quality process, the client has the opportunity to monitor each team’s progress and respond to questions. Project details can be conveniently tracked using the web-based project management tool.

Infrastructure Design and Development

BOD develops aspects of the system engineered and built independently of the interface design. Infrastructure often includes database design and development. In addition, administration interfaces for web products and the purely technical aspects of those products may be included. This often involves technical support for the product or a myriad of server and connectivity issues for Internet products.

Interface Design and Development

Here, BOD designs and builds the user interfaces born from the Behavioral Designs.

Quality Assurance

A quality process must be in place throughout the development process. Additionally, final validation tests must be done before release.