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Our Services
The below is an overview data flow diagram of our services. In summary, we are
a full life cycle developer of information systems. This means that we provide
analysis, design and programming of the systems. It just so happens that we
specialize in web development using Microsoft tools and technologies so the end
product is a web site and supporting procedures. We can work alone or in a team
with your staff or other consultants. We prefer to participate in all three
phases but we are flexible about that and will do any one phase. For example, we
can design a system and you can do the programming yourself.
First, the most important thing to remember is that a system is more than
computer programs - it is equipment, procedures, documentation, forms and most
important, it is people. When we design a system it has to solve the problems in
a way that satisfies the people who use it. I have seen millions of dollars
wasted on systems that ultimately could not be used by the people that it was
supposed to help. That is why we work closely with you and your staff to build
something that you can use. It is also why we have three very distinct phases
-- Systems Analysis, Systems Design and Systems Construction.
Systems Analysis
When you hear about the design of a new building you often
hear the phrase "form follows function". In the design of a new information
system we define the "function" in Systems Analysis phase. The deliverable of this
phase is the Systems Analysis Report which contains the "Functional
Specifications" of the system. These include a data model and a process model.
The data model describes the informational requirements and the logical
relationships of that data. The process model defines the flows of information
within the system and the external world.
Systems Design
The Systems Design Phase is where we
create a physical solution to the Functional
Specifications from the Systems Analysis phase. This
is where we design web pages, program logic, network requirements, forms (for
example pay checks and shipping labels), hardware requirements (for example
computers and internet routers), software from other vendors (for example
Microsoft Windows 2000 Server, Internet Information Server, Database and .NET
platform).
It is very important that the design phase maps back to the Functional
Specifications. For example, if there is a "pay
employee" function, the design may be a web page for
the supervisor to request a check, a web page for the payroll department to
authorize the check, a check to be printed in the payroll department, a
procedure on how to send the check to the employee in the mail, an electronic
message sent to the accounting system to record the transaction, a database to
be updated and an electron funds transfer message to the bank for transfer the
tax to the IRS.
Systems Construction (Programming)
Construction is largely the programming the software. Since we are building web
sites, that includes the construction of the graphic files by artist. The
database has to be constructed and that is done with a special database
language. Manuals are needed to help the users and that frequently takes the
form of more web pages. Not everything can be done with a computer so procedures
have to be written to solve those problems. Finally,
we document the system so that it can be maintained.