SFW uses the following five stage development approach to achieve exceptional results for its clients :
1. Requirements Gathering, Analysis and Scope
This includes a review of any requirements already gathered, the collection and verification of any additional requirements and review and definition of critical success factors for the project. All information is then analysed, and previous experience used to identify dependencies, risks and opportunities. Project scope is then set and agreed.
2. Design
Encompasses the design of system architecture and a robust and scalable database, ensuring that the technology is used in a considered manner, proof of concept and prototyping. The design stage also includes user interface design, ensuring that key aspects such as intuitiveness, ease of use, a good interactive ‘help’ facility and visual appearance are addressed.
3. Build
Given the expertise of the SFW team, technology will always be used in a considered manner, for the benefit of the client. The use of Microsoft technologies within any build provides a stable, upgradeable, open-source base and means that SFW clients do not suffer the restrictions that proprietary software places on functional amendments and support arrangements. SFW also selects the development methodology, based on what will most closely fulfil the needs and objectives of any client project - whether this Rapid Application Development (RAD), adopting the Agile development methodology, or the more classical Waterfall methodology – delivering them within the framework of PRINCE2 Project Management.
4. Test
The development of use cases (a set of scenarios that identify how the system will be used by specific user groups) drawn from the analysis and design phases allow for rigorous testing and successful deployment. SFW always recommends that users from each group identified also test the system to ensure that any issues are resolved prior to deployment.
5. Deploy
On and before any system deployment, SFW determines the type of support and aftercare that may be required, from applications support for initial use through to maintenance and management of the hosted environment, providing clients, should they require, it with a complete end-to-end service.