How We Work - Our Project Process

Once you contact Custom Software Lab, we work with you to conduct a needs analysis. This gives us an understanding of your business and your functional requirements needs for the project. Once the needs analysis is complete, Custom Software Lab will generate a proposal that will include all design, functionality, timeline and price information related to the project. We do not read minds so this document will be the basis of the quoted cost and the functionality to be delivered to client. There are no "standard features" in custom software development.

This is where we set a project kick-off meeting with our staff and the client. The client will meet the assigned project manager and be walked through each step and milestone of the project. By the end, all expectations will be set and full understanding of what is coming next and when will be defined. The client will also receive a design survey link where they will answer questions related to the design (graphical look) needs of the project. This completed survey helps us understand the clients likes and dislikes related to design and gives our designer and better understanding of how to layout and design the interface.

Wireframes are a critical milestone in the project process so that all parties are aware of the website / software functionality and layout. The term wireframes may not be totally clear to everyone; they are a visualization tool for presenting proposed functions, structure and content. A wireframe separates the graphic elements of a Web site from the functional elements in such a way that Web teams can easily explain how users will interact with the Website or software. Wireframes focus on:

- Key page elements and their location, such as header, footer, navigation and content
- Grouping of elements, such as side bars, navigation bars, content areas
- The relative priorities of the information and functions
- The rules for displaying certain kinds of information
- The effect of different scenarios on the display by clicking certain areas.

Amending the wireframes is significantly quicker to turnaround than amending the creative design. We encourage collaborative feedback to ensure the final product is the best possible solution for each of our clients. Once the wireframes have been approved by client, we have a great head start on producing the design concept as generic layout and functional requirements are clearly and logically predefined. We provide 2 review cycles to ensure you are 100% pleased with the end result as you are with the wireframe step of the project. Design phase is scheduled only when wireframes are 100% approved by client.

The graphical designs are usually created in fireworks and represent a snapshot of what each of the pages of the website / software will look like when the project is complete. We generally do not create every single page that will be in the final product, instead we create one example of each of the major section templates as well as any additional design elements needed for the development phase. This is done not to waste time of duplicating sections that have similar design element attributes. We provide 2 review cycles to ensure you are 100% pleased with the end result as you are with the design phase of the project. The development phase is scheduled only when designs are 100% approved by client.

Depending on your project, this can be the longest or shortest phase of your project. We will start with a technical specification document that will outline all exact functionality each of the areas of the project. It will describe how each button works how it is tied into the overall scheme of the process flow. Once the technical specification document is approved by the client, the physical development starts. From the initial shell-coding of the site to development and integration of the dynamic backend, the majority of all development occurs in this phase. When the database demo is released to client, he/she will have 2 review cycles to ensure all functionality is included and functions as per the project technical specification document. Any out of scope revisions requested during this process will go through your Project Manager and our change control. If there is minimal impact on development, the change will be accepted without incurring additional cost.

This phase is arguably the most important phase in the project. During the Quality Assurance (QA) phase, our QA team tests each feature based upon the requirements outlined in your project specification document. Along with ensuring that your project functions as planned, QA rigorously tests for user-friendliness and industry standards. We test on multiple platforms (if required part of project) and on various browsers if your project is a web-based one. If the system does not have all specific requirements, inconsistencies will be noted and assigned to the development team for resolution.

After our team gives your project the green light, it’s your turn. You can kick the tires without being live or concerned with test data. After you report any inconsistencies you find to your project manager, the development team is notified and upon resolution of the issue. QA retests the system prior to releasing it back to you.

This is the stage in the process where the application is approved and it's ready to be handed over to you. If it is a web based software or site, we will install it on your web server. If it's a desktop or mobile application, then we will send you the install file or register it in the mobile store as defined in the proposal.

Your site or software comes with the only Lifetime Warranty in existence for custom development companies. No one is perfect, and if a bug arises, you can contact your Project Manager, and our development team will fix the bug. If upgrades are requested, we will implement and test them within our development environment for approval prior to taking them live within the site or software.