To pursue a strategic perspective while meeting industry benchmarks of efficiency, effectiveness and profitability in this demanding environment, companies need the right partnerships.

The technology and software industry is dominated by aggressive go to market cycles. This challenge is exacerbated by a high degree of technology obsolescence, a result of continuous platform upgrades and intense competition. Compounding this, each software firm has a suite of products straddling the different stages of the product lifecycle. To pursue a strategic perspective while meeting industry benchmarks of efficiency, effectiveness and profitability in this demanding environment, companies need the right technology partnerships.

Which is where 4MVPS steps in and we assure firms reliable delivery of quality software products, developed leveraging business domain focused technology capabilities, thus enabling firms in achieving their business objectives in a sustainable cost effective way.

Model

4MVPS offers a unique model in management consulting delivery that takes advantage of the onsite / offshore service delivery heritage central to our success. In this model, our most senior consultants and principals work directly with our clients being onsite, both framing engagements and managing their delivery. Meanwhile, a highly talented pool of offshore analysts and consultants provide best practices, research, analytical and documentation support. This model enables us to complete consulting engagements in a significantly shorter time frame and allows our clients to enjoy top-tier management consulting coupled with the benefits of offshore economics.

Through its offshore arm in India and working on to expand to other countries, 4MVPS’s outsourcing service provides a comprehensive framework of principles that govern development and maintenance of its customers' applications. This facility enable providing uninterrupted support to business needs, improve the overall efficiency, reduce recurring costs, and ensure constant technology upgrades while integrating with changes in the business.

Methodology

We follow a systematic and step-by-step methodology for all our Internet and Web application custom software development. In our offshore software design and offshore application development methodology we first follow our clients' defined processes and methods, and then incorporate our own internal process steps wherever they are appropriate, with clients' approval. This approach applies to eCommerce, eBusiness custom application development as well as traditional Client-Server or Legacy software development. In absence of clients' defined methodologies, we present a draft of offshore application development methodology to be followed in a project and get approval from our clients.

The main objectives of following a methodology is to make the software development cycle as efficient as possible, to complete the design and development within lowest possible cost keeping the highest quality, and to achieve the fastest turn-around. Another important objective is to make future maintenance easier and faster. The offshore software design and offshore application development cycle for each and every (eCommerce, eBusiness custom application development) project is some way unique, depending on clients' requirements and their unique operating environment. Design and development methodology also varies depending on the software, hardware technologies chosen by clients.

Sample Web Application Development Methodologies

		Discussion & analysis on offshore application development: Objective and goal analysis, preliminary discussion on eCommerce, eBusiness, Web-site strategy and situation analysis, firming up strategy
		Technology, software evaluation
		Cost analysis for development, operations, maintenance
		Design initial layout/ features/ capabilities, prototype, relevant contents
		Design iteration - complete several rounds of revisions, reviews and refinements
		Define final design, layout and features
		Develop/implement web application, including web-site (graphics, back-end software, content, integration with 3rd party and external software)
		User testing, functionality testing, performance testing, acceptance testing
		Client sign-off
		Final launch and deployment

Project Management

The day-to-day aspects of project management are the same no matter where the development team is located. Some may view offshore programming & outsourcing as a challenge because of time differences, communication, laws of other countries, and differences in culture. The goal of the local project manager is to assist clients in delivering software solutions that are cost-effective and timely to satisfy their business needs regardless of where they are physically located or where and when the offshore software development services team or an on-shore team is executing projects.

4MVPS project managers work closely with our clients to understand their business needs, processes and procedures to ensure all projects are successful and delivered on-time. This involves meeting face-to-face with the client and working with the offshore software development services team to ensure there is an understanding about the work effort and schedules. They stay in constant communication with the customer and the offshore programming & development team, and they are dedicated to resolving issues quickly and to the customer’s satisfaction.

Project management can be classified as a science in that it relies on proven and repeatable techniques to achieve project success stories. However, it can also be classified as an art since it requires intuitive skills to apply to specific customer problems. 4MVPS project managers combine both skills to ensure projects flow smoothly and timely. They know how to use state-of-the-art project management tools to ensure all components of a project are identified and tracked until project has been successfully completed.

Here are a few tips we recommend for a harmonious and productive offshore software outsourcing relationship:

1.Engage the outsourcing team during the early stages of the project in order to set expectations, establish processes and procedures, determine offshore software development services team skills, and determine the ground work for how the teams can best work together.

2.Identify key personnel that will be communicating with the offshore programming team and the project manager. Establish their roles and responsibilities, and identify communication tools that will best suit your needs. Establish a time interval where both teams will be available.

3.Setup a session with the offshore outsourcing team for a knowledge transfer that should include coding standards, product architecture, special tools, hardware and software environments, etc. Often these sessions are best handled on-site.

4.Define clear and precise requirements. This is the best way to ensure the code deliveries meet your expectations.

5.Establish frequent project milestones and prepare for conducting code reviews often especially during the initial phases of the outsourcing project. This will reduce misunderstandings and identify problems early.

6.Determine a procedure for managing project changes. This should be an on-going process so both parties understand the costs and delays when changes are introduced during the project life-cycle.

7.Although outsourcing a project offshore can help you with delivering product solutions more cost-effectively and timely it is not without some internal costs. Invariably there are always questions from the offshore development team that must be answered, code reviews, testing, etc that must be considered as costs. Be prepared to assign resources to work with the offshore development team in this regard.