Methodology

At Qulix we know that it is impossible to have a unified approach to every software development project. Large projects must have a higher level of processes maturity and internal complexity in comparison to small projects, which may require no formal processes at all and still be very successful.

Thorough inspection and project management are exercised with the utmost customer convenience, but we always employ a set of standard processes whose implementation applied according to the requirements, will allow us to successfully cope with the business task of the customer.

• Requirements Management

Clear project requirements are the key point for success in an offshore software development project. An offshore team must know exactly what a customer wants at the end of the project. In some cases it may be difficult to provide an offshore team with detailed enough specifications. At Qulix we assign on-site business analysts to convert customer needs into software development specifications.

• Project Management

An offshore team must know the points of contact on each side – who is the local PM, who manages the project on the part of the customer, who is responsible for requirements specification, etc.

There must be a concluded agreement on project milestones, deliverables and deadlines. Both sides must know when certain deliverables are to be expected. Besides, it is a good practice to split the project into several milestones for better transparency.

·         Change Management

An ideal project is the project whose requirements are stabilized before its start. However in actual practice requirements are often changed during project execution, which leads to additional risks, for new changes will affect system quality unless they are thoroughly controlled. Each new change of requirements must be thoroughly analyzed by an offshore architect / PM / leading developer before its implementation and integration into the system.

• Defects Management

New defects must be first assigned to responsible developers and then fixed. It is a good practice to use a defect tracking system for that purpose. At Qulix we use Rational Clear Quest by default and provide our customers with web access to the database. However it is not an obstacle if the customer insists on using their in-house tracking system.

• Configuration Management

As a standard version control solution we may use Rational Clear Case or CVS. These tools are well-suited for remote interaction with customer repository.

We understand that in many aspects and for the majority of customers the SPO model means a new business practice, full of both hidden and explicit risks. So, should you have any questions about how your project can be implemented by an offshore team, what technology platforms will best fit your project, what challenges and opportunities it might bring for your business, please feel free to contact us. We will be delighted to help you.