Every engagement follows a structured, six-phase delivery process to keep requirements, design, and testing traceable from kickoff through operational acceptance.
Process below applies particularly to deliverables that require an extensive software engineering effort, such as necessary with a content management system, REST API, or ETL pipeline, but all deliverables will include some variation of this phased process. All deliverables will include the Requirements and Operational Acceptance phases.
Culminates with requirements specification document (spec)
Requirements spec is listing of granular "shall" statements
Requirements spec and delivered solution share version number
Customer approves requirement spec before exiting this phase
Briefing at which multiple possible solutions is discussed with client including respective pros and cons
Includes case diagrams, sequence diagrams, entity-relationship diagrams as necessary to illustrate solution design
Customer may disapprove possible solutions and/or request additional solution research
Solution implemented or built, tested, deployed to pre-production environment
Includes testing requirements
Includes vulnerability scans
Briefing at which the final solution is discussed with client
Test results discussed
Demo of solution
Solution deployed to production environment
Client signs operational acceptance letter to confirm solution is deployed and operating in accordance with requirements spec