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Our Process 

You need partners you can depend upon. We leverage technology to your highest advantage. It starts with the “I Envision” process – our exclusive system that identifies business objectives in a single statement.

Envision IT may apply one of two methodologies to our projects.  One follows the Microsoft Solutions Framework which is described below. The other is an Agile/Scrum Approach.  Learn more about our Agile Project Management Process. Envision IT can make specific recommendations on the type of methodology to be used based on the project.

Envision IT uses a seven phase approach for IT projects which follows the Microsoft Solutions Framework: 

 

 

Envisioning Phase

This phase starts with a kick-off meeting where all of the key stakeholders are identified as well as the overall project objectives.  The kick-off meeting also defines project team roles and we review the high-level business requirements.  Using this information, a Vision and Scope document is developed which states the project goals and scope. This phase may also include a Discovery Workshop which provides an in-depth look at SharePoint’s capabilities to provide organizations with real world scenarios and demonstrations of what SharePoint has to offer.   

Planning Phase

This phase includes the gathering of business requirements from the various stakeholders for the current project, as well as capturing high-level needs for future phases.  Through interviews and workshops, the requirements are gathered and the user personas are defined. Envision IT uses various mind mapping tools, white boarding, and other tools to document the requirements.  Based on the requirements, the SharePoint features that will be used are decided and the information architecture, wireframes, design concepts and functional specification are created.

Building Phase

Here is where the Envision process really kicks in and comes to life. It’s where we take all of those “nuts and bolts” and assemble them into a full working system.  We begin by turning the functional specs into technical – the “how” of the matter.  Then we dive into the state-of-the-art technology we have mastered to create the system. We do this collaboratively with you to ensure you understand your system from  the ground up, and that there are no surprises.  

Stabilizing Phase

Quality Assurance (QA), Testing and Stabilization are important components for the success of a project.  Envision IT’s dedicated QA team develops detailed test plans and ensures they address all Test Plan scenarios.  These plans are executed by the QA team against the staging environment.  After testing is complete and all defects are fixed, a final site review takes place to acquire approval before the site is deployed to the production servers.

Deploying Phase

This phase usually comprises of the following main parts:

  • Deploying the site to the customer’s server. This may include the installation and configuration of the SharePoint server, or a site could be deployed to an existing SharePoint server.  Typically this phase will overlap with the previous phase and the installation of SharePoint will be completed while the site is still being built.
  • Training of end-users. Envision IT believes a successful implementation includes training.  We leverage over 20 years of experience in delivering corporate training  to provide end-user training courses for SharePoint to our customers. Each course is tailored to the specific customer’s solution.  Courses are typically hands-on and attendees work on a training site identical to the production site to gain relevant experience.  Our trainers are experienced SharePoint consultants who have a deep knowledge of SharePoint while having the ability to train non-technical staff. 
  • Go Live. Typically the site will now require content to be uploaded or authored.  This process may have also started earlier and the final content is being uploaded or created.  Once all content is approved and approval is granted to make the site live, the last configuration changes are made to launch the site.

Closing Phase

At the end of the project, all required documentation is submitted to the customer and a close-off meeting takes place to ensure that the client is satisfied with the results.

Leveraging the Investment:  Many projects take a phased approach, only implementing a portion of all the desired features in a first phase. At this stage, a customer may want to investigate further leveraging their investment in SharePoint. Preliminary projects tend to leverage only a portion of the technology’s capabilities, and organizations usually find themselves wanting to exploit the other features that are available.  With the initial investment of hardware, software and services already complete, further enhancements to the system in order to bring more value become very appealing.

Warranty and Support Phase

Most projects will have a warranty of 30, 60, or 90 days based on the project complexity.  Defects discovered during the warranty are corrected in a timely manner. A support contract is usually often recommended to provide end-user and/or technical support to the customer once a project is closed off to ensure customer satisfaction.