Scarlet Line is now accepting contracts for software projects.
Some of the stages of a project involve interaction with you and your colleagues. If you are based in the San Francisco Bay Area, these can be held at or near your site wherever and whenever is most convenient for you. If you are based outside this area then video, voice and shared computer conferencing are available. Please specify your preferred equipment ahead of time so that this can be set up.
The following provides information about the stages of a contract.
Please contact Scarlet Line about contracting.
1- Meeting with the Project Instigator
The Project Instigator is the individual who understands best, at a higher level, the goals of the project. This person often does not have a deep technical knowledge of the problem, but is best able to state what needs to be achieved. Technical details are kept for a later meeting ( see below ). The goals of this first meeting are as follows:
- Non-disclosure agreement
- Define the problem which this project is intended to solve
- Describe the environment(s) in which the software is to work
- List resources which will be made available ( such as unusual hardware and remote access to machines )
- Outline any sub-goals which are already apparent
- Determine how best to test that goals have been reached
- Discuss ownership of the finished product (Exclusive, licensed, open source or shared sales)
- Work out an acceptable timeline
- Identify other available sources of information, such as technical manuals, individuals with further knowledge, and future users of the software
2- Project Plan and Contract
You will receive a project plan and contract to review and revise. This stage is completed once these are accepted by both parties. At this point, you will provide introductions to the other individuals who will be involved, as mentioned elsewhere.
3- Detailed Specification
The exact nature of the steps for gathering the information necessary for a detailed specification depends on the type of project, however many of the following will usually be involved:
- Interviews with the future users of the system
- Analysis of any existing system which is intended to be replaced
- Accumulation of technical specifications
- Gathering of as much sample data as possible
- Details of the environment in which the software must work
- Review of resources available for testing
4- Software Design and Development
The software is designed and developed at this stage. This will be delivered to you for testing in stages as will have been detailed in the project plan. Feedback from testing is also incorporated at this stage.
Please contact Scarlet Line about contracting.
