Application Development

 
 

Gartner Defines Application Development as:

The function of creating applications for an enterprise. The term refers not simply to programming, but to the larger overall process of defining application requirements, planning the application structure, developing the code, monitoring development progress, and testing results.

Traditional application development has given way to newer, more effective methodologies.

Wikipedia Defines Agile Software Development as:

Agile Software Development refers to a group of software development methodologies that are based on similar principles. Agile methodologies generally promote a project management process that encourages frequent inspection and adaptation, a leadership philosophy that encourages teamwork, self-organization, and accountability, a set of engineering best practices that allow for rapid delivery of high-quality software, and a business approach that aligns development with client needs and company goals.

Arby's

Arby's needed to revamp their customer feedback system to meet the expanded business needs of the new organization. Read more: Arby's Application Development Case Study

Our broad development skills span current development platforms as well as beta technologies:
  • Visual Studio Team System 2005
  • Visual Studio .Net 2005
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2005 - 2008
  • BizTalk Server 2006
  • C #
  • .net Framework
  • Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server 2007
  • Microsoft Office 2007
  • Enterprise Project Management 2007
  • Windows Vista
  • Cross-Platform Integration Technologies - Oracle, DB2, DB400, Sybase, Java, Business Objects, COGNOS, Crystal Reports

The BAC Atlanta Development Center has built and delivered global applications since its inception in 1989. The application development/programming teams work in a rapid application or agile development mode ensuring immediate response to our customer’s needs. This approach provides superior quality combined with cost efficiency while providing a U.S. alternative to offshore jobs.

Blackstone & Cullen Engagement Delivery Process

Delivering on time and on budget is always a challenge. BAC has developed a solid and proven process to ensure we are always in synch with our clients.

We begin by developing a project charter or business case. This document is normally about 20-25 pages in length and describes the Business Need, Benefits, Critical Success Factors, Measures of Success, Approach, Scope, Deliverables, Cost Estimates, Project Control Strategies, a Work Breakdown Structure and a Communications and Issue Resolution Plan. It defines the total amount of work that must be done. This is jointly created document, with both our clients people and BAC people in the charter. Once the document is created we both sign it agree to move forward.

The WBS is converted to a detailed project plan. We collectively sit down at the project inception and jointly pre-approve the work to be done by both our clients people and BAC people as both teams are assigned tasks in the project plan. We both pre-approve the plan and move forward with a two week tactical plan that we will update weekly.

At the end of the first week, we have a project status meeting. We openly discuss our progress to date and review joint activities. If all is in order, we both sign off on the previous weeks work, and that status report is attached to your weekly invoice. We then layout the work to be done in the next two weeks both our clients people and BAC people and we jointly pre-approve the work.

Occasionally a change in scope is needed as new business requirements are uncovered during the project. For example, last week the client wants the screens to be Green but the senior executives want the screens to be red no problem, that is a change in scope that was not identified at the beginning of the project. We have several options, BAC can make the change or the client team can make the change. We truly do not care who does the work. Our goal is to jointly deliver a successful project. If additional funding is available, BAC is happy to do the work, if not, it is likely the client team will do the work. We are all in this together.

Weekly we jointly review the project status, pre-approve work scheduled for the next two weeks and continue the process to project completion.

In our nearly 20 years of business this project delivery methodology has proven to be the cornerstone of our success and customer satisfaction. All work is jointly pre-approved weekly. Ensuring on time and on budget delivery.

Application Development.

Skills in SharePoint, Oracle, ASP.NET, and More

We build portals with Microsoft SharePoint, design Oracle databases, build Microsoft ASP.NET applications, set up data ETL for data warehouses, and do web and application development for data-centric applications.

Portals for Business, Schools, Government

Channel marketing organizations use portals to reach distributors, resellers, and other channel partners. School systems use to provide up-to-date information for students and parents and to support emergency notification requirements. Business use portals to connect field sales staff with inside sales and marketing groups, and to connect employees at home to their office files in support of weekend and evening work