Our Process

The Simple and Effective Approach

We do not start or finish fast; we work efficiently and effectively throughout all project phases. Our clients see and know the difference, especially when they participate as effectively.

Small or large, simple or complex, easy or very demanding, at Santex Group Company each project is handled in a timely manner. Every defined project development has a proposed start and an agreed to end date that is connected to client approval and SGC's analysis. A project might last a month or a year, depending on the complexity and goals, though this is clearly defined from the starter's pistol and then re-evaluated at the half-way point of the process.

Some clients do not choose to build their system under a project model. For these clients SGC offers both Dedicated Resource Models as well as a Retainer Model.

The 5 Phases of Our Process

SGC does not start projects without doing the proper leg work first. That leg work is translated into our first two project phases of our process:

Phase 1 - Investigation & Discovery

Research the Data Provided by the Client
Communicate with Stakeholders
Propose (Provide an Initial Estimate for the Project)
Meet with Clients and Users
Review Existing Product
Prioritize Features and Options
Organize Current Content
Discuss the Final Product's Direction

The discovery phase is critical to successfully identifying, articulating and reviewing the business processes and needs that will be completed, solved, orchestrated or supported by the new project product. SGC will work with key members of your team to determine what is currently working and/or not working as well as what is needed for your solution.

Research is undertaken to understand the requirements of the project. Competitor analysis, customer surveys, existing website reviews and branding reviews will be included in this step. Initial technical and creative exploration will be undertaken to prove specific concepts or generate workable ideas for the project early on.

At this point SGC may require access to your current website backend, hosting, documentation, and key individuals on your team. It is important that your team is prepared to provide data on a timely basis as each day lost here will need to be addressed individually with regards to the full system’s delivery.

Phase 2 - Planning & Analysis

Project Specification
Requirements Documentation
Framework and Technology Recommendations
Technical and Creative Briefs
Use Cases (User Stories or Activity Diagrams)
Click-able Prototyping
Gray-scale Wireframing
Full Color Still Mockups
Style Guide Documentation
Project Planning and Scheduling
Resource Allocation and Assignments
Risk Analysis and Mitigation
Re-evaluation of the Proposed Estimates for the Project
Change Requests (Accepted/Rejected)

The Planning & Analysis phase is considered by many to be the most important phase of a project's life cycle. Time spent planning will help the project move more fluidly during the later phases, with fewer unexpected or unanticipated downfalls.

Planning: SGC will manage the project according to CMMI standards in order to ensure that agreed upon deadlines and milestones are met. An updated estimate of effort is determined at this stage based on all information and specifications gathered during the first two phases. Upon presentation of the findings with the client, final agreements are reached on which features will be included in the development of the product moving into Phase 3.

Phase 3 - Development & Integration

Write Code
Develop the Platform
Integrate Data
Content Addition
Theme
Page Styling
Testing on Local Host
Testing on an SGC Server

The Development phase of the project is when the actual product is built to the specifications created and agreed upon during the Discovery and Planning phases above. The start of the Development phase is triggered by the approval of all planning documents in their entirety.

The core of the system is created, coded and developed at this point in the project. During this phase, the client may not hear from us on a daily basis because we have our nose to the grindstone to produce desired/planned/tangible results.

Phase 4 - Delivery & Migration

Confirm Deliverables
Configure Platform or Hosting
Transfer File Ownership
Migration of the System to the Live Environment
Testing on the Live environment
Compile the Working Code Package
Training for Users or Owners
Project Deliverables
Client Approval (User Acceptance Test)

We will support in the enrichment of your dedicated server or hosting environment with any of the required technologies not currently present. Some aspects of shared hosting environments prohibit changes; it is best to investigate this as part of phase 2 of the project to mitigate configuration issues.

Additionally, during the migration phase, SGC can provide optional support and training to your staff. This is to ensure that all functionality of the project is understood and the correct processes are followed by the all project stakeholders. The training for end users will normally be handled by you, the client, and will help support in the early adoption of the project and to answer questions about features of the new work-product’s deliverables.

In this step the product is ready for launch, and public relations or advertising strategies may be employed.

Phase 5 - Maintain & Evolve

Measure Performance
User Analysis
Search Engine Marketing
Search Optimization
Increased Exposure
Optimize
Integrate Additional Features
Roll-out New Options and Upgrades
Translate to Different Languages
Future Direction Documentation

The only way to ensure the success of your project is to focus on your core objectives and evolve accordingly. At SGC we provide all of our clients with maintenance plans according to each client's specific needs. We will help you every step of the way to address your company’s ever changing and evolving process.

After the initial deployment of the project, SGC will be available to work with your team on a ‘Retainer’ basis to identify and implement potential system upgrades, which include search optimization, social media, blog writing, email marketing efforts, PPC management, among other services.

Retainer services are normally handled through a monthly retainer agreement with a predefined allotment of resource time. If you wish to review more information about SGC’s post migration retainer options, just ask and we will send it over.