Full-Cycle Project Development
Mindfire Solutions offers full-cycle project execution and Out-sourced Product Development (OPD) services.
Full-cycle software product development is suited for situations where our client wants a long-term reliable partner for software and app development, while they focus on their core strength and market understanding.
Essentially, when a delivery magical black-box is the need :)
In full-cycle projects, Mindfire's team works as your complete solutions provider: from ideas to design, development, implementation and support.
General Steps
The team works with clients to define their needs sharply.
These may then be written out by Mindfire's team as a Requirements document and signed off by you.
As part of the Agile philosophy we emphasize getting going quick to produce working software that may then serve as discussion board.
Visualization and wire-frame tools are often used for collaborative understanding.
We we are equally happy to use scribbled notes - after all who can count how many ideas started from napkins!
In outsourced product development (OPD) or complete software project delivery model, Mindfire is responsible for Project planning and management as well. Project planning is generally achieved using tools/systems comfortable for both sides.
Test plans are also drawn up by us. Software architecture and design may be done using Object-oriented principles and tools (such as the heavy Rational Rose/UML or recent light models), or as Structure charts, or other tools as required by the client.
Every situation is unique, and we tailor use of development tools and processes as per client and project needs.
Generally, after a UI prototype, we enter the development phase proper.
QA/testing and test case verification carry on in parallel to development.
Regular code-reviews, algorithm walkthroughs etc. are part of our development process and applied on each project.
Build and release planning, code freeze, UI freeze, etc. and project milestones are decided at the beginning of the project, and tracked sincerely throughout.
Technology Choices and Decisions
In full-cycle projects, sometimes clients also ask us for decisions on technologies.
We are fortunate to have worked for 17 years on many different programming languages and development platforms and technologies.
For example, open-source PHP or Python or Ruby on Rails RoR or Java development.
And Microsoft .NET programming, or ColdFusion and ASP.NET web development.
There are also platforms that provide an easy scale path from casual software to professional systems - like FileMaker or Servoy.
And of course iPhone iOS app development or Android app development.
Then there are the clouds - Amazon AWS or Microsoft Azure or Google Compute Engine, and many more.
Plus Selenium automated testing or manual testing.
This breadth of knowledge in one group helps us recommend pros and cons of each, but clients decide - the final word is yours!
Finally, pre-release testing and post-release support ensure that clients get what they asked for: full-cycle headache-free software services!