Project Methodology

5 Step Process to Success

For over 10 years, Tamlin has been successfully implementing automation solutions for small to mid-size businesses. Because we are committed to continuous improvement, the Tamlin project team has developed a 5-step project methodology. This proven method assures the best overall business solution for your company.

Step 1: Customer and Project Selection

Tamlin only accepts projects it knows will be successful. Therefore, our first step is to verify that Tamlin can successfully complete the project. Our due diligence includes systemized checklists as well as many years of industry experience.

We are not successful unless you are successful. If Tamlin is not confident in a successful implementation, we will recommend a vendor who is. This is our promise to you.

Step 2: Structured Needs Analysis

What are your business goals? The most important step in any project is to determine a company's current and future needs. Only then can we determine the best solution to meet those needs.

Through years of experience, Tamlin's project team has learned the best approach to needs analysis is to drill down to the detail level and see what the end-users need to do their jobs. For this, Tamlin uses a time-tested needs analysis methodology called JAD.

In 1977, Chuck Morris and Tony Crawford of IBM conceived of a new way to approach system design and JAD or Joint Application Development was born. Since then JAD has been used for all types of projects, but it is especially suited for software development and system design.

JAD is highly focused on the end user's needs and facilitates communication between the end users themselves and the solution provider. Because JAD is highly interactive it eliminates the types of problems found in other methods. Business procedures are often redefined during the JAD. The result is a comprehensive understanding of your business goals and associated needs.

Step 3: Detailed Design

"The devil is in the details."

Tamlin knows that defining and managing the details can make or break an implementation. Therefore, a detailed design specification is the next step in our project methodology.

Using the needs analysis, our senior analyst creates a detailed design specification including: forms, reports, calculations, procedures, and database level descriptions. This is the complete technical specification used by our programmers. In addition, it outlines detailed data conversion and data migration plans.

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Step 4: Project Management

Our goal is to bring your project in on time on budget. Once we determine the details, we develop a project plan to manage them. In this step, specific tasks and milestones are defined to measure our on-going progress.

Our project management methodology also tracks critical path issues, which assures that Tamlin can react quickly to any unexpected challenges. You'll know exactly where your project stands as we work to keep you and your project team continually informed.

Through years of experience, Tamlin's project management methods and procedures have proven effective. We eliminate the guesswork and give you the peace of mind in knowing you will have a successful project implementation.

Step 5: Quality Assurance

Delivering high quality software solutions requires rigorous testing and quality control procedures. Tamlin conducts three levels of testing to provide the best possible Quality Assurance.

Programmer Unit Testing:

This first level of testing assures the coding complies with the specifications set out in the detail design document.

Project Manager Review:

In this next level of testing, the project manager reviews the system against the client specification to determine the functionality at a system level. Any errors are sent back to programming, until they are correct.

Pilot Programs:

This final level of testing is at the customer's site. We install the software, migrate any data, and perform parallel entry to identify any problems or improvements before going into production. It is critical that the pilot program use actual client data. We have learned through experience there is no substitute for the real world.