The Development Process

• Carbon Data Solutions uses an accepted best practice process to build data systems for small to medium businesses. Carbon Data builds solutions in partnership with the client, taking the business’s requirements, calculations and procedures, and turning them into an information system. This collaborative process ensures the client gets a solution that meets their needs.
• Our process can be broken down into 5 stages:

Initial Consultation

• An initial consultation outlines the businesses’ specific needs and reviews their “wish list”. The goal is to outline the project, advise the possibilities and to show existing solutions of a similar nature. [... more]

Project Planning

• We write a specification document to describe the project. The specification document lists the functions of the proposed system in non-technical language. It is written in partnership with a client appointed steering committee. Ideally, the steering committee will be made of a representative/user from each key business division.
• The functional specification becomes our worksheet and the client’s checklist. In addition to the functional items, training and installation will also form part of the specification document. At the conclusion of the planning stage a fixed cost quotation and project time frame is handed to the client. [... more]

System Development

• The Development Stage is where the system takes shape as guided by the specification document and controlled by the Steering Committee. The client is fully involved throughout the building of the system, and can see each function in the specification document evolve. [... more]

Setup and Implementation

• The Implementation Stage is where the system is installed onsite. Depending upon the size and complexity of the system, the Implementation may occur in phases. The goal is to install the software at the client’s premises and train the clients’ staff on its use. [... more]

Ongoing maintenance, improvement, training and support

• During this stage, system maintenance is undertaken. This may include data reparation; general system improvements at the clients request the system, additional staff training and anything else that will ensure the success of the system. [... more]