Data and Domains Consulting, Seattle Database Development and Web Programming: Access, SQL

Our software development process

The most frequently asked questions we hear are: "How long will it take?" and "How much will it cost?" The answer to both that we follow a Best Practices approach to creating your custom database.

Your business is unlike any other; we develop a database tailored to your needs. We work on the basis of time and materials. We rely on years of experience gained from completing dozens of successful MS Access databases. That requires careful planning, continual monitoring, and good communications between your key staff and our development team.

Free Initial Consultation

We devote our initial meeting to interviewing the key people on your team to gather information about your database and automation needs.
We guide the discussion, using our many years of database design experience to :

identify specific requirements and key components for the proposed solution
uncover technical or logistics challenges that might impact success
make an initial evaluation of the size and complexity of the work
identify budgetary constraints that apply

You describe the business problem you need to solve and what you expect the database should do to solve that problem.
We develop an initial estimate of the scope of work required and a preliminary budget for the work to meet those requirements.

Create a software development project proposal

Before we begin develoment work, our project manager completes a proposal with a good faith estimate of the work and resources required to meet your requirements. This step usually requires additional detailed conversations between your key staff and ours. In most cases, the proposal includes one or more phases, allowing you to prioritize the work and budget required, a phase at a time if necessary.

Data Gathering and Planning

When you decide to move ahead, our project manager gathers more specific data about business rules to be incorporated, functions and features you want to implement, and the resources required to meet your requirements. That includes:

interviewing key players who will use the completed database
gathering and evaluating existing documentation
conducting walk-throughs of any existing systems
validating assumptions on both sides
identifying any physical or organizational challenges to be addressed

In this process, our depth of experience providing solutions to many different customers is invaluable.

Database Design

Development includes designing a database to support your business in the most efficient way possible, based on your requirements. We create tables to hold your data. We prototype an interface for the application for your review. Design and development are an iterative process, which means that you have the opportunity to review and approve work as it progresses.

Feedback and Approval

We have regular meetings to show progress and get your feedback on features and functions. These frequent meetings allow us to stay on track with the overal project goals and adjust if needed.
Frequent meetings allow you to monitor the project budget and priorities and adjust if needed.

Delivery, Testing and Launch

We deliver and set up the database in your location. Your users test and provide feedback prior to going live.
We address and fix issues raised in testing, if any.
Your new database applicaton begins supporting your business.