We
use a six stage milestone process. This guarantees that the big issues about
a project are settled first and that subsequent development proceeds in a logical
and controlled manner. Each stage in the process involves consultation, development
and sign off. We can build in external evaluation to any of the stages of the
milestone process. When you are completely satisfied with what has been achieved,
we move on to the next stage. Our milestone process keeps our projects on track.
specification - We meet to discuss the project – your ideas, the project’s
aims, how it will be used and by whom. We capture all this in a specification
document, which establishes the scope of the project, outlines basic structures
and describes our technical and creative approach. The specification also includes
a schedule of steps we will go through to complete the project. This document
is the blueprint for everything that follows and must be approved and signed
off before we move forward. treatment - At this stage we begin to demonstrate
our solutions. Depending on the project, we may present you with sample screens
or pages illustrating the creative look and feel, a complete map of learning
objectives, a plan of the technical functionality, or perhaps a set of templates
to be populated by the content. After consultation, the treatment documents
will be signed off. prototype - We create working prototypes of key parts of
the product to demonstrate the look and feel, design, functionality and content
in action. For example, if the product was a website, we would show you some
key screens with working interactions and links. This is an essential stage
in any project, because it allows you to see how the components work together.
This stage ends with a period of consultation followed by sign off. alpha -
We now build the complete product. Using your comments on the prototype to
guide us, we populate the entire structure with content and prepare the product
for internal testing. If we are building a website, this stage would culminate
in the launch of the site on a private web address, where you can examine it
in detail. If we are producing a training manual, this stage would end with
the presentation of an entire first draft. After we have received and discussed
your comments, we are ready to move to the next stage. beta - By this point
we are fine-tuning the product. At the beta stage we apply any amendments or
changes you may have asked us to make at alpha. Further, exhaustive proofing
and testing takes place and final amendments are made and the beta version
is signed off. product delivery - This is the final stage of the milestone
process. Here we deliver the completed product, fully tested and approved.