8 + 1 Approach

Solutions & Services
Service Capabilities

8+1 Approach

Driving IT innovation across the enterprise requires a deep understanding of how technology influences all aspects of an organization. To ensure our clients realize the strategic value of IT, and to create the best return for our clients' investment, imason has developed the 8+1 Approach.

8+1 is a comprehensive roadmap comprised of eight distinct steps, plus overall Project Management, to ensure a clear focus on the approach and execution of each project. The step-by-step process eliminates guesswork – it paints a clear path to each client’s ultimate goal.

These steps are:

8 plus 1

Preliminary Scoping

Preliminary scoping sets the stage for the initial direction and budget of the project. During this step, the client and imason establish overall objectives and high-level business requirements.

Requirements

Only by listening to those who will use the solution every day can we truly get a feel for what is required. We interview stakeholders, end-users, subject matter experts and project team members to gather, organize and document as much information as possible. During this step, the client and imason grasp both the current working environment and stakeholder requirements.

Analysis and Design

During this step, the client and imason map the logical, physical and security architectures for the intended technology solution. Operational requirements, risks and limitations and performance requirements are also considered. As well, we begin the analysis and design for the User Experience, which may include adjustments to the back-end architecture and front-end design themes.

Implementation

Armed with a clear set of requirements and a design theme, imason implements the solution. A development timeline ensures we tackle the most complex pieces of the puzzle first. We define deliverables in terms of visible, end-user functionality.

Testing

Rigorous functional testing begins in a staging environment once we have a working portion of the solution installed. Performance testing and application profiling are important aspects of our testing step to ensure quality. Once our internal Quality Assurance testing is complete, the client performs User Acceptance Testing to ensure the solution performs to the satisfaction of its users. When this happens, imason receives final sign-off.

Deployment

Once the client prepares the production servers, we deploy the solution in the Production environment.

Handover

During the Handover step, we provide guidance and training on how to use, extend, maintain and operate the system.

Post-Release Support

The project doesn't end once the switch is flipped. Post-Release Support provides our client with the ability to make late changes to the live system, respond rapidly to feedback from their user community and if applicable, plan phases of the solution.

+ Project Management

Project Management ties all eight steps together within a project governance model. It allows us to accurately report the status of the project at any given time, establish project controls, facilitate communication between all stakeholders and ensure that the project is proceeding according to plan.