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Ridgehead engages in projects relating to customer service operations, supporting both internal and external clients. This includes projects where organizations create, administer information, disseminate information, and manage contacts with all of their users, including call center agents, employees, subject matter experts, customers and others.  We do this by developing and integrating with systems to manage knowledge content, customer contacts tickets, and customer interactions. 

Systems Ridgehead specializes in are (amongst others):

• Content Managements Systems (CMS)

• Customer Relationship Management Systems (CRM)

• Self Help and Self Enablement Portals

• Off-Line Content Delivery Solutions

• Community and Social Networking

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Ridgehead development processes follow a number of standard or company specific methodologies, modeling tools, and languages. The software development life cycle comes with standards which fulfill the needs of any development team. Like software, application solutions and websites are developed with certain methods with modification and upgrades to the software development process.

Business Analysis & Requirements Gathering  Architecture & Design Documentation Development & Intergration

Quality Assurance & Testing Promotion & Deployment Support & Maintenance Upgrades & Releases

These changes alone are not limited to application or website development. Some steps may not be applicable for certain projects. It is largely dependent on cost-and-time constraints. Ridgehead wraps these important development life-cycle steps with world-class project management and oversight.  Customizing the approach to the client’s requirements while utilizing standard processes gives Ridgehead range and flexibility to meet client requirements and deadlines in a timely and cost-efficient manner.  Additionally, Ridgehead will leverage both on- and off-shore development resources so as to achieve a balanced cost model while still achieving the overall project goals and objectives.

Agile Development

Agile development has demonstrated advantages in time-to-market, quality, efficiency, team morale, business/IT alignment and responsiveness to change.

Ridgehead is a proponent and practitioner of Agile development.  This allows us to collaborate with clients and help mitigate outsourcing risks.  While achieving measurable benefits by staffing the project with the correct skills, prioritizing and delegating project activities effectively and investing in different means of team collaborations.

Business Analysis & Requirements Gathering

Once a client begins to identify requirements, the Ridgehead team starts its involvement, with the goal of establishing the preliminary requirement. As the development project is typically part of a larger system, it will need a complete analysis as part of the project plan. Moreover, the analysis should cover all the aspects, especially how the solution is going to integrate with the existing system.

It is important to determine the targeted audience, the actors. Then, the hardware, software, use-cases, workflow, actors and data requirement are considered during the analysis period. The analysis should be done in the way that it is not time consuming, yet robust in thoroughness. Ridgehead will provide a cost-benefit analysis that is the foundation of the project plan.

Architecture and Design

Preliminary specifications and designs are drawn up by addressing each-and-every element identified in the requirements gathering stage. If the project is a website, then the modules for the site (including layout, navigation and dynamic parts) should be included in the specification. Larger projects will require further levels of detail so as to assess additional business and technical requirements.

Documentation

After reviewing and approving the preliminary analysis, a detailed specification is prepared outlining the scope of the project including responsibilities, timelines, and costs.  In order to provide complete specifications, the following additional documentation is typically attached:

• Wire-frame diagrams of screens and forms.

• Database schema of all database tables, relationships, and objects.

• Workflow diagrams for all key business events.

• Use-cases for all events that the solution will encompass.

• Test-cases for all events that will be qualified and tested during the QA process.

• Project plan outlining the stages and milestones for the project.

• Timely marketing campaigns that address the needs of your clients and prospects

Development & Integration

Work on the solution is scheduled and planned after gaining approval on the specification and documentation.  Ridgehead will show clients the interactivity of the application and/or website if clients show interest in a full functional prototype.  We also will provide two or three designs with images and navigation features.

Client modifications and enhancements are incorporated into the project, and all changes are frozen before moving to the next phase of the development process.  As needed, client comments, feedback and approvals can be communicated by e-mail, fax and telephone.

The Ridgehead development team code the solution without disturbing the design. The developer knows the interface and will not modify the look and feel of the site or application. The developer will understand the design and navigation. If the site is dynamic then the code will utilize the template. The developer may need to interact with the project manager in order to understand the design.

The developers will perform any required integration to third-party systems in conjunction with representatives from the clients IT team.  All integration will be thoroughly tested and documented so that all exposed interfaces and dependencies are fully understood, documented, and tested.

All developers will use a CVS to control all source control. The coding team will generate necessary testing plans as well as any detailed technical documentation that is required for the solution. The end-user documentation is prepared by the coding team, which technical writers are able to leverage to develop help files and user manuals.

Quality Assurance & Testing

Software applications and web based applications need intensive testing. Different types of testing may be required, including:

• Integration testing.

• Stress testing.

• Scalability testing.

• Load testing.

• Resolution testing.

• Compatibility testing.

Automated testing and manual testing are performed by the Ridgehead team. For example, to test graphics loading and calculate the load time, (which is very important for the responsiveness of a website), Ridgehead utilizes online testing tools to help the Quality Assurance team test applications.

Promotion/Deployment

Promotion of the solution into the production environment needs preparation, planning, and rehearsal. The solution deployment is normally an ongoing process as the strategies of search engine may change quite often.

Support & Maintenance

Ridgehead provides 24/7 support via phone, email, and remote access for all applications.  Ridgehead also provides a variety of maintenance options so as to ensure our clients take advantage of upgrades, new releases so that their solution is up-to-date.

Upgrades & Releases

Solutions often require updates to add new requirements and to evolve the solution to meet user needs. In that case you may need to perform some of the development life-cycle steps, e.g. analysis, documentation, development, etc.

Bug fixes can be done during the time of maintenance. Once the solution is operational, ongoing promotion, technical maintenance, content management & updating may be required on a regular basis.