Michael H. Drucker Consulting (MHDC) uses a phased development process that allows us to develop and deliver a wide range of information system solutions.  This development and management methodology is the cornerstone of our success. 

 The phases of our development methodology are:

1. Vision / Scope Phase

During this phase we identify and document the client’s business problem or need, the anticipated benefits, and the vision of the solution.  This phase is typically of short duration, and results in a high-level understanding of the anticipated scope of the project.  This phase is most important for new efforts where general solution ideas must be focused into more specific goals and solution scope. 

2. Consensus Design Phase

In this phase we define and document the detailed business, technical, and data requirements, and the business processes and business rules.  From these we develop high-level solution architecture diagrams, logical and physical data models. This phase represents a substantive effort that forms the basis from which the solution is designed and developed.

3. Detail Design Phase

We use the requirements and overall architecture that resulted from the Consensus Design Phase to construct detailed pseudo-code descriptions of each application module, detailed data designs, detailed screen designs and other associated deliverables.  Our intent during this phase is to discover and resolve missing or incongruent requirements, prior to the start of programming.  We’ve found that it is much less costly to discover the issues on paper than during programming development.

4. Build Phase

Because the design that resulted from the previous phase is at a very detailed level, programming becomes a relatively simple and straightforward matter of following the instructions.  The result is higher quality code with shorter development schedules. 

5. Installation Phase

We install the developed solution at the Client’s designated site for acceptance testing and operational use.  Included within this phase is any user, technical, and support training.

6. Support Phase

During this phase we provide initial warranty support for our deliverables, as well as any post-warranty, ongoing, contracted support and knowledge transfer.

We customize these phases to fit the specific needs of the client project as each project differs in scope and complexity.   Because overall development costs are minimized when the detail requirements are known before development starts, we always recommend completing the Consensus Design phase.